FAQs
Isn’t it true that areas around landfills have disproportionately high cancer rates? Is there a cancer cluster in Mountaineer Village?
No, it is not true in the case of Conestoga Landfill. A cancer investigation of the areas around Conestoga and Lanchester landfills was completed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health in 2003. Dr. Calvin B. Johnson, the state secretary of health, reported finding “no significant deviations from normal cancer rates.” In fact, he added, “In several instances, cancer rates for the [area] studied were lower than the Pennsylvania average.” He concluded, “… [T]he Department of Health can find no epidemiological indication that the environment contributes to cancer rates, and there is no environmental data demonstrating that there are human exposures to carcinogens from these [landfill] sites that could increase risk.”