'We have to find out, we need to have the governor initiate a thorough and transparent investigation into this matter'

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MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE HERE, MANY OF THEM KNOW THE CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER IN CANON MAC SCHOOL DISTRICT MANY FAMILIES WORRY THOSE SIX CASES OF EWING SARCOMA COULD BE LINKED TO POLLUTION WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FROM NEARBY SHALE GAS DRILLING AND FRACKING SITE >> THEY CAN’T HAVE A FACT-BASED DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT DRILLING MAY BE A CAUSE. MIKE: THEY’RE STILL SEEKING ANSWERS, NOT SATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS FROM THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHICH EARLIER THIS YEAR DETERMINED THERE WAS NOT A CANCER CLUSTER IN THE WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMUNITY. >> I LIVE IN THE AREA. I AM JUST CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THE DOH FOUND. THEY DON’T FEEL THAT THERE IS A CLUSTER. I THINK, AS THEY SAID THIS EVENING, THERE WERE MORE CASES THAN WHAT THEY SAID. MIKE: NATIONWIDE, AN AVERAGE OF 200 CASES OF THIS RARE CANCER ARE REPORTED. SO SIX PEOPLE IN 11 YEARS ARE RAISING CONCERNS. THAT’S WHY THE GROUP THE SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROJECT ORGANIZED THIS PUBLIC MEETING. >> WE HAVE TO GET ANSWERS. WE HAVE TO FIND OUT WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. MIKE: DOCTOR NED KUHTIER IS A CANCER SURVIVOR, HE SAYS THE STATE HAS TO DIG MORE DEEPLY INTO THOSE NUMBERS OF CHILDHOOD CANCERS. >> WE NEED TO FIND OUT. WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM. WE NEED THE GOVERNOR TO INITIATE A THOROUGH AND TRANSPARENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE MATTER. MIKE: DOCTOR KUTIER SAYS IT’S ALL ABOUT CHILDREN’S HEALTH, AND THEIR FUTURE. HE SAYS IT MAKES HIM FEEL GOOD TO SEE 200 PEOPLE PASSIONATELY ASKING FOR CHANGE, ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY DR. KUHTEIER WILL BE TAKING THE COMMENTS FROM TONIGHT TO HARRISBURG TOMORROW TO BRING TO THE STATEHOUSE TO MAKE LAWMAKERS KNOW THERE ARE MORE CONCERNS, CONTINUING THE FIGHT FOR A MORE IN-DEPTH INVESTIGA

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Six students have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, within the same Washington County School District in recent years. There have been at least six cases since 2008. On Tuesday night, more than 200 people, many of them who know the children who have been diagnosed with cancer in the Canon-McMillan School District, gathered for a community meeting to discuss childhood cancers in the area. Many families worry those six cases could be linked to pollution within the school district from nearby shale gas drilling and fracking sites. "They can't have a discussion -- a fact-based discussion -- about this without acknowledging that drilling may be a cause," one person said. They are still seeking answers and are not satisfied with the results from the state health department, which earlier this year determined there was not a cancer cluster in the Washington County community. "I live in the area, I live in Peters Township and I'm concerned about what the DOH found. They feel there's not a cluster but I think just as they said here this evening and I knew this before, there were more cases than they said," said Annie Shaner of Peters Township. An average of 200 cases of this rare cancer are diagnosed across the country each year."We have to get answers; we have to find out why this is happening," one person said. The Southwestern Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project organized Tuesday night's public meeting. Dr. Ned Ketyer is a cancer survivor. He said the state has to dig more deeply into the numbers of childhood cancers. "We have to find out, we need to have the governor initiate a thorough and transparent investigation into this matter," said Dr. Ned Ketyer of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project.Ketyer said it is all about the children's health and their future. He said it makes him feel good to see 200 people passionately asking for change on behalf of the entire community. Ketyer will be taking the comments from Tuesday night's meeting to Harrisburg on Wednesday to bring to the statehouse to make lawmakers know there are more concerns and continuing the fight for a more in-depth investigation.