Looking Closer
Cancer Reporting in St. John Parish
CRISP Report Results in EPA Action
According to the EPA, “The CRISP 2022 Report concluded there was a “likelihood of chronic exposure to low doses of chloroprene at levels [from the Denka facility] which may have potential health impacts on vulnerable populations.” The Report also stated that “Fifth Ward Elementary School students may potentially face unacceptably high cancer risks based only on the years of school attendance. ” Finally, the CRISP 2022 Report found detectable levels of chloroprene even during periods of reported Denka facility shutdowns.” Also “The recommendations from the CRISP 2022 Report provided LDH and LDEQ with practical steps to potentially reduce and prevent chloroprene exposure in the St. John the Baptist Parish community.”
The CRISP 2022 Report made several recommendations to LDH, including:
- Engage in monitoring, mitigation and exposure prevention, including conducting health assessments and tracking health outcomes
- Implement a school-based health surveillance system
- Use air monitoring and biomonitoring to quantify resident and child exposures to chloroprene
- Work with LDEQ to establish a relationship with the community and to adopt precautionary practices and policies preventing the future siting of industries next to residential and community spaces
Read our entire report below.
St. John the Baptist Parish Chloroprene Monitoring Demonstration
This report is part of a larger project to review cancer cases in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana “Cancer Risk in St John Parish” (CRISP). This report presents the results of a proof-of-concept demonstration to evaluate the feasibility of applying specific analytical procedures for detecting chloroprene in air and urine.
SURVEY SUMMARY
Question:
Are all cancer cases in St. John the Baptist Parish, especially around the Denka Performance Elastomer facility being reported to the Louisiana Tumor Registry?
Many people believe that all cancer cases are not being counted, so Governor John Bel Edwards authorized a study where researchers surveyed people in the Denka area to see if the cancer cases these residents knew about and had experienced are in the Louisiana Tumor Registry (LTR) data.
Answer:
Yes. After a year-long study, all reportable cancer cases identified by area residents were already in LTR data. That finding backs up previous reviews of LTR data accuracy, with LTR being considered one of the top cancer registries in the country, winning numerous awards for its accuracy and timeliness.
Learn More:
To learn more, read the report at the link below.
Cancer Reporting in St. John Parish Final Report (Cancer Incidence Rates, Appendix F)
Cancer Case Reporting Update
Please note: This update represents cancers reported by the community that were diagnosed between 2009 and 2018. Medical records are not required to be retained for more than 10 years, thus we cannot always verify cancers diagnosed prior to 2009. Cancer reporting is not yet complete for cancers diagnosed in 2019 and after which is consistent with national standards and all state cancer registries.