No one is doing the sort of comparative studies, such as examining cancer clusters, of the residents surrounding the plant that could give us an indication of how it is affecting our health.

We do know lead is damaging to children’s development — so damaging that no level of exposure is considered safe. The state Department of Health did not respond to a request for comment in The Post-Star‘s recent story on the report, but the state should take a more active role in overseeing the plant and this region’s air quality. We have mentioned before that having air monitoring stations in Stillwater and Wilmington, as the state does, is wholly inadequate when it comes to measuring the air in the Glens Falls region, where there is the greatest need.

It’s too easy for a company like Wheelabrator to claim its operation is safe by saying it meets minimum state standards. That ignores the real-life situation of families in neighborhoods that are not only near the trash plant but also the cement plant and Finch Paper.

Both lead and mercury can build up in the body over years, so a “safe” exposure level may not be safe at all, given prolonged exposure.

The Hudson Falls incinerator is 28 years old, and the average life expectancy of incinerators is 31 years. It is time to consider alternatives.