Most of us on Long Island, if not all, have had someone close to them affected by cancer. My town, West Islip, has had it particularly rough. I still remember to this day how heartbroken my community was when we lost a 12 year old boy to a rare brain cancer. He was only a grade below me, and the entire mood of my school changed for that year. Since then, my brother was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer at just 15 years old, and is now thankfully in remission. Just when I thought my nightmare was over, one of my best friends since kindergarten was just diagnosed with Leukemia, at age 20. All I keep thinking to myself is, “what are the odds of so many young people in my community getting diagnosed with cancer?” Most people hear about a grandparent developing cancer, not a 12, 15, or 20 year old.
Coincidentally, this past March 1, an old factory and now dumping ground, known as Dzus Fasteners, was deemed a health hazard containing high levels of cancer-causing cadmium in its soil. Furthermore, contamination has been discovered at Willetts Creek, just south of the factory, both located in West Islip, New York. I have heard several rumors about the factory causing cancer, as well as the West Islip water in general for years, and now there is finally proof. What makes me so angry is, if people have been wondering for so long if these sites could be causing cancer, why did it take so long to finally investigate them? This should be a top priority. The longer we wait, the more and more people are going to be affected by this horrible disease.
Hearing this news makes me wonder how many other cancer-causing sites are right here on Long Island. If there are two right in West Islip, I’m sure there are plenty more throughout the Island. It’s extremely scary to think about and should be taken seriously. According to News 12 article, DEC: Contamination at W. Islip site is a health threat, the state says it will conduct public meetings and hearings as the cleanup plan is developed. Senator Phil Boyle has demanded the meetings begin immediately. It is extremely important to address issues such as these in a serious manner. You wouldn’t leave broken glass lying around in the road, so why would we continue to leave a contaminated dumping ground alone?
As a person who has been affected by cancer too many times, I am fed up with this disease. As a community, we need to take these issues much more seriously. We will only be protecting our future generations, as well as our own.
