Un-addressed airport health issues

Posted 9/13/12

To the Editor: What a shame that our council representatives in the city of Warwick do not listen to the pleas of the residents. A prime example is Camille Vella-Wilkinson of Ward 3; whom my wife and …

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Un-addressed airport health issues

Posted

To the Editor:

What a shame that our council representatives in the city of Warwick do not listen to the pleas of the residents.
A prime example is Camille Vella-Wilkinson of Ward 3; whom my wife and I personally contacted, informing her of the major health issues that have occurred in Ward 3 that we believe are a result of T.F. Green Airport being located in the midst of a residential community.
Why are there so many types of cancer surrounding the airport? How unfortunate that the issues of the deicing discharge into Buckeye Brook has never been resolved in all these years, which has definitely impacted the health of the residents. Pollution of chemicals is always a concern.
Submitted to Ms. Vella-Wilkinson were 35 names of people between the area of Church Avenue and Stillwater Drive that currently have some type of cancer, or have unfortunately died from it. I wonder how many more cases would be known if surveys were sent out to other wards throughout the city – this is probably just the tip of the iceberg.
This data was presented to Ms. Vella-Wilkinson prior to the airport expansion vote. As the facts show, the vote was passed without further considering of major health issues. We realize our concerns were just “swept under the rug,” that Camille didn’t care; and for this reason, she no longer has our support, along with many other neighbors in this ward.

Bill Eisemann
Ward 3 Resident
Warwick

Comments

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  • falina

    I can't help but notice I too, have heard of cancer clusters surrounding airport residents. One in particular is a cluster of Brain cancer in the Strawberry Field Road area. Why HASN'T this been addressed?

    Thursday, September 13, 2012 Report this

  • Michael2012

    It is really difficult to say for certain what causes cancer. Most things we purchase every day have a disclaimer, " known to cause cancer in lab mice in the state of California"

    If you said lung cancer rates were high perhaps that would make more sense to me, but brain cancer?

    I read recently that Sheryl Crow believes she got brain cancer from cell phone use. The theory has been kicked around for years, and there have been studies done, but we all know how big of an industry that is!

    Obeseity also has been on the rise as a state and a nation. Obeseity is one of the number one reasons people develop cancer and other diseases. Look around at the people the next time you go to the walmart at the RI mall and you will see how so many people just don't care about their health and have let theirselves go!

    Air pollution, water pollution, ground pollution, etc.. is getting worse. Global warming is getting worse but people look the other way on that also.

    Bottom line, eat healthy, exercise, don't smoke and drink and do drugs, keep stress to a minimum, and you may live longer if its in your genes.

    People in Warwick simply do not like living near an airport. I'm sure people in Boston, NYC, and every other location that has an airport doesn't like it either. But, the airport is here to stay.

    I am a proponent for the airport expansion and I can't wait for it to expand and create approximently 1 to 2 thousand jobs during and after the building process. The increase in business in the area that we as a community and state need badly.

    Thursday, September 13, 2012 Report this

  • RichardLangseth

    Michael2012: The airport will be here but the number of flights has dropped dramatically from its peak. Continued declines are expected. And the State of Rhode Island has found serious air pollution problems that were pushed into the trash heap by Governor C.

    Thursday, September 13, 2012 Report this

  • Knowing54

    Michael2012...you are quite the dreamer...1 to 2 THOUSAND JOBS!?!? What comic book did you read this in!

    Thursday, September 13, 2012 Report this

  • FedUp1

    Vella Wilkinson is too busy dancing to Avedisian tune than work for her constitutents. Too bad you weren't a union worker because she would be fawning all over you.

    Camille is an empty dress.

    Thursday, September 20, 2012 Report this