Reply to Washingtonian article about how Spring Valley is giving it's residents cancer

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It is a known cancer cluster. Very sad.[/quote]

Spring Valley is large. Is the entire neighborhood affected or just certain streets? I tried to find a map online but could not find one that showed where the chemicals were buried and have been found. Is it true about the cancer rates? I think it is such a pretty neighborhood.[/quote]

The answers are, pretty much, no. Johns Hopkins has done several semi-exhaustive studies and found no higher rates of incidence or mortality in Spring Valley (versus the control neighborhood of Chevy Chase). The studies have their limitations, but the overall level of health in Spring Valley is better than the US and DC and exactly comparable to Chevy Chase.

The munitions are believed to be located beneath the house next to the South Korean Embassy on Glenbrook Rd. The neighboring houses -- the Embassy and the AU President's house -- likely have munitions too.

There has been very extensive testing for arsenic on every single property (save, two, I believe). Arsenic has been found in neighboring neighborhoods, such as Tindall St. in AU Park and Wesley Heights. It is remediated and removed.

Here are some links so you don't have to take my word for it.

Here is the link to the most recent Johns Hopkins study (from 2013): http://www.jhsph.edu/offices-and-services/practice-and-training/projects/community-health-survey.html

Here is the general site for the Army Corps of Engineers: http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Home/SpringValley.aspx 
They have torn down the house next to the SK Embassy.

Groundwater monitoring map for Spring Valley is here: http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Portals/63/docs/SpringValley/Arsenic_perchlorate_allLocations_201310_enlarged.pdf 
The yellow areas are all concentrated around the same point. As I mentioned above, arsenic has been removed in other neighborhoods, too, including Tindall St. recently. The testing is not as extensive elsewhere, however.

Arsenic remediation map is here: http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/Portals/63/docs/SpringValley/Overview%20Map_Arsenic%20Remediation-Public.pdf 
The map is centered on Spring Valley, but even still you will see two dozen homes in AU Park were remediated. The claim used to be that Tindall, Springdale, etc. had arsenic because soil came from other parts of town. The claim doesn't hold up once you see that much older areas of AU Park also exhibited arsenic. Other neighborhoods tell a similar story. Other neighborhoods are likely not as thoroughly tested. With Spring Valley, you can be fairly certain about what you are getting.

Frankly, I don't have any concern over groundwater, arsenic or munitions. I have read anything and everything on the subject. This is my opinion, of course. You should consult the above links, and others, and reach your own conclusions. I'm confident, however, that if you actually read the documents (free of the histrionics so typical here) you will reach a similar conclusion.

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I tried the links but none of them are working. Are there other maps that show exactly where the arsenic etc… is located? [/quote]

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