Report on pollution in Great Lakes being held back by CDC
The release of a peer-reviewed CDC report on pollution in the Great Lakes region of North America has been delayed by the American government, prompting suggestions that the findings are less than favourable.
According to a story by the CBC, experts in the field believe the report is ready for widespread release but feel the government is delaying publication because the findings are pretty disturbing from both economic and social points of view. Among other unsettling findings, the report claims that there are higher than average rates of lung, colon, and breast cancer in the region’s cities, along with abnormal birth statistics in specific areas. The worst part of this whole scenario is that some of the people familiar with the report feel the full social costs involved with cleaning up these waterways are astronomical and, quite possibly, prohibitive.
The cost of future cleanup is something that governments of all levels across North America need to keep in the back of their collective minds as they continue to approve developments in sensitive areas.
