Environment Committee

Why? Monitoring the toxicity in our water and air may help us.

Learning about these risks tells us where action should be taken and if further study is needed. We’ve already learned a great deal. We want to continue our efforts. It is important to know as much as possible about how our environment may impact cancer rates and what we can do to reduce that risk.

WHAT CAN BE DONE

Continue to monitor the air and water for carcinogenic substances.
Inform the public of risks when they are present or are suspected.
Expand monitoring to include pharmaceuticals and other substances associated with cancer.
Use public forums to present information from studies conducted.
Work to reduce particulates in the air.
Make sure there are workplace “right to know” programs for those who work in hazardous environments.
Continue and augment the Delaware Healthy Homes campaign.
Use incentives to encourage dry cleaning businesses to eliminate the use of cancer-causing solvents.

DELAWARE AIR TOXICS ASSESSMENT STUDY PHASE 1 Cumulative¹ Risk Assessments for Cancer Cases² Exposure to All Chemicals/5 Monitoring Sites
Populations	Martin Luther King Area Site	Delaware City Area Site	Lums Pond Area Site	Felton Area (Killens Pond) Site	Seaford Area Site
Adult	3.2 additional cancer cases per 100,000 exposed people	2.2 additional cancer cases per 100,000 exposed people	1.8 additional cancer cases per 100,000 exposed people	1.9 additional cancer cases per 100,000 exposed people	1.8 additional cancer cases per 100,000 exposed people
Child	1.4 additional cancer cases per 100,000 exposed people	Less than 1 additional cancer case per 100,000 exposed people	Less than 1 additional cancer case per 100,000 exposed people	Less than 1 additional cancer case per 100,000 exposed people	Less than 1 additional cancer case per 100,000 exposed people
Age-adjusted (combination of adult and child)	4.4 additional cancer cases per 100,000 exposed people	3.5 additional cancer cases per 100,000 exposed people	2.6 additional cancer cases per 100,000 exposed people	2.7 additional cancer cases per 100,000 exposed people	2.5 additional cancer cases per 100,000 exposed people
Legend HIGH RISK: 10 or more additional cancer cases per 100,000 exposed people INCREASED RISK: Greater than 1 but less than 10 additional cancer cases per 100,000 exposed people LOW RISK: 1 or less additional cancer case per 100,000 exposed people Source: Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

Click each goal to read about the objectives, tasks and timeframes.

Goal 1:

Reduce exposure to carcinogenic substances in the ambient environment.

Year 1

$375,000

Year 2

$450,000

Year 3

$130,000

Year 4

$130,000

Objective 1A: Continue fish monitoring and education campaign about fish consumption advisories.

Task/Action	Responsible Party	Timeframe
Fish Sampling:Conduct annual activities including collection of fish samples, laboratory analysis, risk assessment using the laboratory results and other information, and issuance of fish advisories if necessary.	DNREC, DHSS	Ongoing
Education Campaign: Conduct outreach efforts including direct engagement, distribution of brochures, print and radio ads to improve awareness of advisory information.	DNREC, DHSS	Ongoing

Objective 1B: Expand drinking water research and monitoring to include pharmaceuticals and other carcinogens.

Task/Action	Responsible Party	Timeframe
Expand water monitoring to include pharmaceuticals and other carcinogenic substances and initiate research study that evaluates the types of cancers associated with pharmaceuticals found at elevated levels in drinking water.	DNREC, DHSS	Ongoing

Objective 1C: Evaluate the types of cancers associated with air toxins and compare to those cancers for which Delaware is elevated in incident and mortality. Educate the public on the past and current levels of carcinogenic substances that are monitored in the ambient environment related to air quality.

Task/Action	Responsible Party	Timeframe
Initiate research study to evaluate the types of cancers associated with air toxins found at elevated levels and compare to those cancers for which Delaware is elevated in incidence and mortality (link databases).	DNREC, DHSS	Ongoing
Complete four to eight public forums on the results of phase II of the Delaware Air Toxics Assessment Study (DATAS).	DNREC, DHSS	Ongoing
Develop and implement community-based stakeholder air toxics reduction program in Wilmington based on DATAS information.	DNREC, DHSS, US EPA	Ongoing

Objective 1D: Conduct an integrated assessment of Delaware’s environmental monitoring and public health surveillance systems.

Task/Action	Responsible Party	Timeframe
Coordinate DNREC and DPH surveillance systems using a “Hazard-Exposure-Outcome” framework, and prepare a joint work plan for collaboration to improve public health surveillance with specific milestones and accountability	DNREC, DHSS	Ongoing

Objective 1E: Purchase diesel particulate filter systems for installation on DART transit buses.

Task/Action	Responsible Party	Timeframe
DNREC and DHSS will work with DelDOT to facilitate purchase and installation of continuously regenerating diesel particulate filter systems on DART buses.	DNREC, DHSS	Ongoing

Goal 2:

Coordinate with Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Office to reduce workplace carcinogenic risk and exposure.

Goal 3:

Reduce exposure to carcinogens in the indoor environment.