Acreage Investigation - Rumor Control

Rumors with misrepresentations and/or untruthful exaggerations can spread fear and anxiety. The Palm Beach County Health Department and the Florida Department of Health strive to provide factual information..

Rumor:

The Acreage Neighborhood Information Center will be closing soon because there is no money

Truth:

• The Acreage Neighborhood Information Center is open from 10 AM to 6 PM Tuesday through Saturday. The Center is staffed by an Administrative Assistant and other personnel to assist residents in obtaining information on the pediatric brain cancer investigation. The center will remain open as long as needed.

Rumor:

Testing is being stopped because nothing has been found.

Truth:

• Health Department Director Dr. Alina Alonso said early on, “This will never be done.
• There are numerous aspects to an investigation of this kind. The Environmental reviews are among the first. Others include:

• Personal case interviews and reviews
• Control study interviews and reviews
• Peer, Partner and Literature Reviews
• University Level involvement
• Community input, review and education
• Research institution involvement
• Dealing with the outcomes
• And many more.

Rumor:

Well water is bad and there is a conspiracy to get all on county water supply.

Truth:

• The community, through its votes, can give the go ahead for a public water system.
   
• To date, the results from well testing have been consistent with standards set by the EPA. (what you would expect to find)

Rumor:

There are 40 more adult brain tumors (Glioblastoma Multiform and NOS) in the Acreage than the state is reporting. (No defined time period)

Truth:

• At this time DOH has been unable to verify the claim of 40 adult cases of Glioblastoma. DOH did find 4 adult cases in the defined study area: 1 in 2004, 2 in 2005, 1 in 2006 and 0 in 2007 and 2008. The study area is defined by census blocks and county tracts to get a better population picture
   
• From 2000 to 2009 in Palm Beach County the reported and verified annual average for Glioblastoma in all age groups was 46.8. Thus, you would expect to see 1.5 cases in all age groups per year in the study area. (Approximately 3.25% of the Palm Beach County population lives in the study area.
   

Rumor:

There is plutonium in the water

Truth:

• An independent laboratory retained by an independent study group reported this finding. The study group has issued a statement that the finding was not true or accurate. Findings from water testing conducted by the Department of Environmental Protection for the Department of Health Study are linked on this website for review.

Rumor:

Is it true that the county and state only tested the Acreage water for natural radiation and not unnatural (manmade) radiation?

Truth:

• Phase I and Phase II water testing included “radionuclides” which are defined as “radioactive elements or particles, man-made (anthropogenic) or natural, with a distinct atomic weight.” While there are hundreds of radionuclides, many of them are rarely encountered. The EPA has set specific levels of beta (byproduct of manmade radiation) allowed in public water supplies. The maximum gross beta levels are set to make sure that internal dose of radiation is no more than 4 milli Rem in one year.
   
• The testing done in the Acreage has not shown any level exceeding that maximum gross level. Based on the fact that there are no community water systems within Palm Beach County that are categorized as vulnerable to contamination from manmade beta emitters DEP did not test for those manmade beta emitters during their first round of sampling. Community water systems are only required to sample for manmade beta emitters if the state determines that they are vulnerable to that type of contamination. None of the surface or groundwater systems in Palm Beach County are near a nuclear power plant which is the normal source of manmade beta emitters.
   
• The DEP did their most recent Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) in 2009 and Palm Beach County has not been notified of any community water systems that fall into the vulnerable category. During the recent testing events, the DEP determined what contaminants they would sample for and included the manmade emitters to conduct a more focused and comprehensive evaluation of the affected home sites. Also to address community concerns raised relative to the Pratt Whitney Plant.

This website will be updated regularly by the Palm Beach County Health Department.