Who should pay for the testing of private water wells in Western North Carolina? That’s a question being debated by the state General Assembly, which passed a mandate last year requiring more testing of new wells. The testing would cost $230 to any developer who drills a new well.

Leaving the testing of new wells up to local health officials, as a new proposal suggests, would be a gift to developers, who wouldn’t be required to foot the bill. It would also mean less testing since local health officials would only conduct testing in known contaminated areas.

However, Former Rep. Charles Thomas, who opposes the bill and pushed last year to have benzene added to the list of substances to test for, said there’s no way of knowing where chemicals have been dumped in the area and how far the pollution from a former CTS Asheville plant has spread.

It’s unfortunate that cost is being put above the safety of those who drink the well-water, a powerful point made by Thomas: “Testing the water properly is a lot cheaper than treating a brain tumor in a 4-year-old.”

Recent reports have revealed that trucking company workers who are being continuously exposed to diesel exhaust are at high risk of developing various forms of cancer. Benzene, a toxic chemical and known carcinogen, is a commonly used additive in gasoline and for those who spend their day to day lives being exposed to these fumes; the chances of developing cancer are higher.
A national study was recently done regarding truckers and the high risk of cancer and it reportedly found that workers who are exposed to exhaust from vehicles on the highways, city streets and loading docks are at higher risk of developing lung cancer than other workers.
Study Exposes Risk of Cancer
The study, which was analyzed 31,135 worker records, discovered that drivers, who do short-haul pickups and deliveries, including the loading and unloading at ports, had a noticeable increase in the rate of deaths and disease. Dockworkers were also found to have a higher risk, say researchers from UC Berkeley and Harvard who conducted the study.
After results from the study were made public, California’s Air Resources Board decided they were going to me to further discuss the study and its findings. During this meeting, they will be voting on a landmark regulation that aims to reduce the overall risk to the of benzene exposure to the general public from the nearly 1 million diesel trucks that exist in the state.
If this new rule is adopted by state lawmakers, California will be the very first state in the nation to require a replacement of every privately owned, diesel truck that’s now on the road. The law will also hold true for vehicles that are registered in other states and nations.
“This study confirms that truck drivers exposed to diesel have higher lung cancer rates,” explains Dr. John Balmes, who is a professor at UCSF and UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health.

According to recent reports, the Labor Department is racing to complete and implement a new rule that was opposed by President-elect Barack Obama regarding benzene emissions. The new rule would supposedly make it harder for the government to regulate toxic substances to which employees are exposed to while on the job.

The rule is reportedly being strongly supported by business groups and states that in assessing how risky certain substances are to the workplace, federal agencies should gather and analyze evidence of the employees’ exposure during their working lives. In many cases, the proposal would add a step to the process of developing higher standards in regards to protecting the health of workers.

Benzene Rule Details

Public health officials worry that the rule will only delay much needed protections for workers across the country, which could ultimately result in more deaths and illnesses.  The Labor Department proposal is reportedly one of 20 highly debatable rules that the Bush Administration is trying to pass during his last weeks in office. The other rules cover a wide array of topics from abortion, to auto safety and the environment.
The one regarding benzene emissions at workplaces across the country is of importance due to the harm that benzene can cause to anyone exposed over an extended duration of time. Benzene is a toxic chemical that has been linked to leukemia and other cancers. It is typically used in gasoline, dyes, synthetic rubbers, and cigarettes. If this rule is passed and workers across the country aren’t protected from benzene and other toxic chemicals, more and more people could die and become ill from diseases linked to these substances.

According to recent reports, Lyondell Chemical Company has been asked by Houston Mayor Bill White to participate in a public hearing regarding the accusations brought against them for emitting benzene. Benzene is a known carcinogen and the company, which is the city’s largest refinery, is being accused of emitting large amounts of the chemical into the air.

The TCEQ, the agency who monitors Texas’ air quality, brought about the allegations against Lyondell. A spokesman for the agency claims the refinery is one of the country’s largest dischargers of benzene. Lyondell reportedly has the highest emission of benzene per barrel of products, in comparison to other refineries across the country.

Not the First Time

This is not the first time allegations of benzene exposure have been brought again Lyondell. In 1997, high amount of benzene were being emitted from the refinery provoking Gov. George Bush’s Anti-Pollution Program. At this time the Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention reported that Lyondell was responsible for emitting 8,069 tons of benzene into Houston’s air.

“If the company believes that it’s just fine to put tons and tons of benzene in the air… then we would like to hear what scientific evidence they have that benzene is good for you,” White told reporters.

The mayor is hoping the hearing will help establish a benchmark for benzene emission in the state of Texas, where there currently isn’t one. Currently, the only pollution guideline in Texas is for the air toxin discharge based on the known risk that it would lead to one additional cancer case per 100,000 population. However, if the hearing doesn’t go as anticipated, Lyondell could continue to operate for at least 10 more years.