GREENSBORO, N.C. -
There are no known toxins and therefore no health risks for people living near the city's closed White St. Landfill, according to a report from the Guilford County Department of Public Health released Friday.
The landfill, closed since 1991, has been the subject of recent debate as city officials consider reopening it in order to save money currently spent transporting waste to Montgomery County.
For years, residents who live near the landfill have wondered about the health effects of being so close to the city's trash.
But the study that came out Friday says there are no known toxins and no health risks from the landfill.
"You've got the wind going away from the community; you got the water flowing away from the community, so even if there was a toxin that no one has identified then, how would it get into the community? And the answer is it wouldn't," said Dr. Ward Robinson, the county health director.
Robinson said the county and state's research found more people with certain cancers living near the landfill, but the differences could be found in any given population -- not just those near the landfill.
"I'm really upset about it, because I live so close to it," said Cynthia Pinnix, who hates the idea of reopening the White St. Landfill.
"We're willing to continue the discussion and continue to hear people's comments, but we don't think there's a health concern right now," said Robinson.
But Pinnix isn't convinced.
"The only thing that I really got out of the study was they aren't sure what's in the landfill, you know, about the toxins in the landfill. They didn't find any health problems right now, but we don't know what's going to come out of the studies when we look a little deeper," she said.
Raleigh researchers are scheduled to come to Greensboro next week to examine the landfill, and neighbors hope they'll also take time to talk with them.
The landfill, closed since 1991, has been the subject of recent debate as city officials consider reopening it in order to save money currently spent transporting waste to Montgomery County.
For years, residents who live near the landfill have wondered about the health effects of being so close to the city's trash.
But the study that came out Friday says there are no known toxins and no health risks from the landfill.
"You've got the wind going away from the community; you got the water flowing away from the community, so even if there was a toxin that no one has identified then, how would it get into the community? And the answer is it wouldn't," said Dr. Ward Robinson, the county health director.
Robinson said the county and state's research found more people with certain cancers living near the landfill, but the differences could be found in any given population -- not just those near the landfill.
"I'm really upset about it, because I live so close to it," said Cynthia Pinnix, who hates the idea of reopening the White St. Landfill.
"We're willing to continue the discussion and continue to hear people's comments, but we don't think there's a health concern right now," said Robinson.
But Pinnix isn't convinced.
"The only thing that I really got out of the study was they aren't sure what's in the landfill, you know, about the toxins in the landfill. They didn't find any health problems right now, but we don't know what's going to come out of the studies when we look a little deeper," she said.
Raleigh researchers are scheduled to come to Greensboro next week to examine the landfill, and neighbors hope they'll also take time to talk with them.
