Posted By: MountainLover

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We grew up in South Charleston with the air full of pollutants, and were told we would all die young of cancer. Well, many have died, but more in wars than anything else. Life happens, work is necessary to sustain life, and the current climate of analyzing every facet of life and fining some company or putting it out of business is not improving anyone's way of life. Perhaps Michelle Obama will find the problem is at McDonald's, or maybe in the government subsidies, like cheese and butter. Whatever the answer, there will be no personal responsibility, it will be someone's else's fault and require government regulation and intrusion into our lives, plus someone will make a lot of money but many more will join the status of poor.

Posted at: July 28, 2011 4:59:09 am

Posted By: jkotcon

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I realize that this is simply a correlation, and further research is needed. But Congratulations to Hendryx and his colleagues for finally asking the right questions.

If the coal industry is serious about their "Clean Coal" propaganda, they need to find and eliminate the cause of these health effects. It may be as simple as better emissions controls on diesel engines. A cloud of black smoke from trucks is loaded with known carcinogens.

Posted at: July 28, 2011 7:25:17 am

Posted By: zippit

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Based on door to door interviews? Not based on factual information like actual epidemiological records? I wonder what other anthropogenic stressors could be confounding these areas. Did the authors factor out pollution derived by: http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201107271042 ? Human waste is a huge problem in southern coalfield streams and tribs. Did they factor out O&G in these watersheds? Radon or other radiological sources? Their hypothesis is baseless unless they can factor out other confounding variables. Also, there is a huge difference between a correlation and functional relationship. Perhaps you can explain that in future articles? Of course..that would mess up your headline...your headline could read: "Study Finds Increased Cancer Rates Near Streams Polluted with Fecal Coliform." The point is...your reporting is misleading and not at all objective. There is no science or statistics that you can hang your hat on. But hey, it sells papers I guess.

Posted at: July 28, 2011 7:55:20 am

Posted By: AaronS

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Another day, another study that reveals the evils of mountain top mining. It's almost as if the answer is out there and the questions are forumlated to arrive at that answer.

Coal is bad, end it.

Posted at: July 28, 2011 9:04:38 am

Posted By: cantstandeers

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come on people. doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity. MTR is killing people while coal companies get rich. Why are you so willing to protect and defend them? Don't you think WV deserves better?

Posted at: July 28, 2011 10:57:23 am

Posted By: eheatlh.rivers

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This is an excellent study. We need more like this to better understand the critical relationships between exposure to toxic substances and disease. I applaud the methodlogy of door-to-door interviewing. It is the only way to accurately assess these connections; standard epi data, often made avaialble only at a county-wide level is useless for these purposes. While relationships do not establish causality, they are a critical step in the investigative process. Often as a society we need to assess the preponderance of evidence; if we wait for science to determine causality beyond any doubt, many can die in the proccess (e.g., the decades it took us to conculde the smoking causes cancer).

Posted at: July 28, 2011 1:02:04 pm

Posted By: silveybelle

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scientifically speaking door-to-door interviews are not empirical data and don't follow scientific standards to prove a fact. Science relies on hard data and not anecdotal accounts. So Mr. Hendryx really would have been better suited for anthropology so that he could interview people, but his interviews and anectdotal accoutns don't really prove anything

Posted at: July 28, 2011 1:25:59 pm

Posted By: Engr

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During the sixties prior to MTR mining a young man came out of New York as a vista worker to southern West Virginia to help with the terrible poverty and health problems that the people faced. That was Senator Rockefeller. Nothing has changed. We just blame the problem on something else.

Posted at: July 28, 2011 2:34:43 pm

Posted By: Bruno

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There could be hours of video evidence of mtr demolition crews hacking local residents with machetes and you coal cultists would find some excuse to deny their accountability. Talk about responsibility--how about the responsibility of the people putting the poison in our air and water? "A feller's gotta have a job" just doesn't cut it.

Posted at: July 28, 2011 5:42:59 pm

Posted By: new1

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"Cancer rates among residents near the Coal River Valley's mountaintop removal operations". How close is near? Is Seth any closer to mountain top removal than say, East Bank? This study is way, way too vague. Too many factors to consider. How close to rail road tracks do these residents live? How close to busy highways? Do they have city water? Do they have septic systems? Are their septic systems approved? How close are their septic systems in relation their water wells? Were questions like these asked? Mr. Ward, ask for a list of the questions.

Posted at: July 28, 2011 8:28:20 pm

Posted By: WVaLocal

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Here's a (not so) CRAZY idea: Maybe the coal industry could seriously consider the potentially impact of their activities on communities and then work to minimize it. Responsibly mined coal? How cutting edge!

After all, FRIENDSHIP is a two-way street!

Posted at: July 28, 2011 9:28:17 pm

Posted By: yogipsk

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More junk science reported as news by Ken Ward Jr...so surprising

Posted at: July 28, 2011 10:06:45 pm

Posted By: Bruno

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So where's the coal industry's science proving they're not a hazard to our health? Come on now, don't be stingy, fork it over. Why do I hear crickets chirping? What, no peer-reviewed studies by the industry? Then why do I keep hearing coal cultists running their mouths?

Posted at: July 29, 2011 12:30:43 am

Posted By: TiredofStereotypes

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So where's the attorney to say its inbreeding?

Posted at: July 29, 2011 7:54:33 am

Posted By: MU4WVU2

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Bruno, are you serious about" coal industry proving they are not a health hazard". Too hard to disprove such a negative.

Can you "prove" crab fishing in Alaska does not damage the bass fishing in Florida. There is no association, but it cannot be proven.

Posted at: July 29, 2011 11:24:37 am

Posted By: yogipsk

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I'm saying the report is junk, the methods use cannot rule out other causes and doesn't meet scientific or statistical standards, I can go interview 20 people and skew it to say anything I want. Make it a peer reviewed double blind study and I'll believe it. Maybe all of the houses have asbestos or they smoked for 50 years or it was a genetic cancer...Drs will tell you they don't know what causes cancer but some things elevate the risk. Don't post junk just because it supports you already formed opinion...besides underground mines put more water in the southern streams that surface/MTR mines ever will. Plus why are these studies never done around a UNION MTR mines like Samples, DalTex, Ruffner or Hobet 21?

Posted at: July 29, 2011 11:38:17 am

Posted By: AaronS

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Plus why are these studies never done around a UNION MTR mines like Samples, DalTex, Ruffner or Hobet 21?

Wouldn't be prudent, can't go against the cash cow...err I mean unions.

Posted at: July 29, 2011 2:16:30 pm

Posted By: prairiestatewv

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Science is not true. Take your fancy whining liberal science back to russia! OBAMA STEELZING YER GUNZ OMG!!!! WAKE UP PEEPPLE LAZY STEELING YER DOUBLE WIDE!

Posted at: July 29, 2011 2:49:20 pm

Posted By: WVTeach

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Going out on a limb here but do you think there may be a socioeconomic correlation? Too many variables.

Posted at: July 29, 2011 7:23:25 pm

Posted By: WVTeach

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@yogispk...exactly correct!

@Bruno...I'd start with hot dogs!

Posted at: July 29, 2011 7:27:35 pm

Posted By: cantstandeers

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parariestatewv do you have any idea how ignorant you sound? Russia? Really what on earth does russia have to do with this? You people are really sad. coal companies want to keep you in the dark so you will work for them and stay quiet. If you look the other way until miners die, they will use you up. why are you so willing to let them?

Posted at: July 29, 2011 9:43:00 pm

Posted By: Rational

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"So where's the coal industry's science proving they're not a hazard to our health? "

Seriously, Bruno?

Where is your proof that you've stopped beating your dog?

Posted at: July 30, 2011 3:42:05 pm

Posted By: viewer

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Is this Rock Creek near Danville or Rock Creek in Raleigh County? I live between Rock Creek in Raleigh County and Seth. I was not aware of any interviews. I agree that there seems to be a higher cancer rate in this area.MTR needs to stop. Mine the coal through deep mining. This southern part of WV is the only place in the US where you can legally destroy the mountains. Can you imagine destroying the mountains in New York or the Great Smokey Mts or in California. The coal companies are becoming mega million dollar empires and leaving our mountains destroyed forever. Just pay high wages and everyone will support MTR. Money talks.

Posted at: July 30, 2011 9:09:54 pm