Health minister wants report on tainted water in Shannon, Que.
New research finds genetic link between cancers and chemical in town's red zone
Health Minister Yves Bolduc said he wants to know more about what effect a chemical called trichloroethylene (TCE) could have had on the residents of the community 25 kilometres north of Quebec City.
The chemical was used decades ago at the nearby Valcartier military base, and it has since been found in Shannon's groundwater where the community used to get its tap water.
'Since the beginning I was always saying, "That bloody water killed Dad." You know, because he was drinking a lot of it.' — Caroline Duplain, resident
Bolduc asked his officials for a report on the facts of the case and any possible public health issues that remain.
He also wants to know if it is possible to do a full epidemiological study of people possibly affected by the contamination.
"[I want] to see what is possible to support the community," said Bolduc.
The minister's call comes after scientists working on the class-action lawsuit launched by 600 residents found a link between exposure to the chemical and residents with cancer.
At a news conference Friday, Quebec toxicologist Michel Charbonneau pointed out on a map what he called the town's "red zone."
'One hundred per cent of the 13 cases in the red zone were positive.' — Michel Charbonneau, toxicologist
The cluster of blocks had the highest concentration of contaminated water in the community.
Charbonneau and researchers in Pittsburgh analyzed biopsies from cancer patients in the zone, looking for a specific genetic mutation that would indicate exposure to TCE.
Charbonneau said he was shocked at what the researchers found.
"One hundred per cent of the 13 cases in the red zone were positive," he said.
The researchers expanded their study to the wider community and found 27 cases of cancer in all, with the genetic mutation appearing in 24.
The results didn't come as much of a surprise for resident Caroline Duplain.
She grew up in the red zone, had surgery for breast cancer four years ago, and also watched her father die of brain cancer.
"Since the beginning I was always saying, 'That bloody water killed Dad.' You know, because he was drinking a lot of it," said Duplain.
New interest in class-action lawsuit
An investigation by the Radio-Canada program Enquête revealed documents showing the federal government knew of the problem with TCE for more than 30 years.
He said many residents had previously believed they were safe if they stopped drinking the water in 2000 when federal officials ordered residents to stop drinking water from the tap.
"Just last evening I received an email after the Enquête show from someone who said she was raised on the [Valcartier] base and she had colon cancer and her father had colon cancer as well," Veilleux said.
Veilleux expects the class-action lawsuit could go before the courts next fall.
On Friday, reporters asked the federal minister responsible for the region of Quebec, Josée Verner, to respond to the allegations.
She said she could not comment on the case because it is before the courts.
However, she said she considers it a priority to give financial support to Shannon to eliminate any remaining water issues through the government's infrastructure program.