W.Va. Ranks Poorly In National Lung Cancer Report

Lung cancer and smoking rates in the state lag behind the rest of the country and aren’t showing any signs of improvement, according to a new report.

The American Lung Association’s 2023 “State of Lung Cancer” report ranked West Virginia 47 out of 48 states included in the report for new lung cancer cases.

“Unfortunately, West Virginia ranked second highest in the nation for new lung cancer cases, and the worst in the nation for adults who currently smoke,” said Aimee Van Cleave, advocacy director for the American Lung Association in West Virginia. “So there’s so much more work that is needed to reduce the burden of lung cancer, particularly in West Virginia.”

According to the report, West Virginians aren’t surviving lung cancer, either.

Bob Herron, a thoracic surgeon and the director of lung cancer screening at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital in Wheeling, said while the numbers say the state is making slow, steady progress, there’s still a lot of work to do.

“We are at the bottom of the lists of a lot of the major categories such as the new lung cancer cases,” Herron said. “I believe we were 47 out of 51. And we also ranked 37 out of 42 in lung cancer survival at 22.4 percent.”

The national survival rate is 26 percent. While rates of smoking in West Virginia are alarming, Van Cleave said there are other contributing factors to West Virginia’s rates of lung cancer.

“The bottom line is, if you have lungs, you can get lung cancer,” Van Cleave said. “So while smoking is the leading risk factor for lung cancer, there are so many other things that contribute to that as well, including environmental air quality, including exposure to radon and even your genetics.”

Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. Van Cleave said homeowners should keep Radon detectors up to date to avoid exposure. West Virginia ranked 31 out of 51 states and Puerto Rico surveyed in Radon exposure.

“If you’re breathing things in the air that your body is not meant to breathe, that has detrimental impacts on your body, which is why we spend so much time at the lung association looking at all of the different risk factors related to lung cancer,” Van Cleave said.

Van Cleave and Herron encouraged people who might be at high risk to take a survey at savedbythescan.org. It helps determine eligibility for a new kind of low-dose CT scan to check for lung cancer.

“I would implore people who fit that bill to ask their primary care physician about it and to get the ball rolling to get a low dose CT to evaluate for a lung nodule, or potential lung cancer that could be potentially, discovered in the earlier stages as opposed to the later stages, which, as everybody knows, an early stage cancer is so much more feasible and easier to cure than the latter stage,” Herron said.

According to Van Cleave, a long-term solution to the lung cancer and smoking problem could be brought about by legislative action from state lawmakers.

“That is why the lung association calls on state legislators to increase funding for tobacco control of cessation efforts, which have been dramatically underfunded year after year to the cost of countless lives,” Van Cleave said.

While West Virginia has shown improvement over the past five years in new cases, survival and early diagnosis, experts say there is still plenty of work to do.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

New Cumberland Manufacturer To Pay Millions In Environmental Violations

A manufacturer in Hancock County will have to pay close to $2 million for environmental violations. 

A manufacturer in Hancock County will have to pay close to $2 million for environmental violations. 

Messer, LLC, an industrial gas manufacturing facility located in New Cumberland, West Virginia, will pay a $1.9 million civil penalty for violations of its Clean Water Act permit and the West Virginia Water Pollution Control Act.

According to court documents, Messer exceeded permit limits when it discharged pollutants into the Ohio River on at least 186 occasions since February 2016.

The company’s EPA permit imposed limits for the discharge of specific pollutants, including copper, aluminum, iron, residual chlorine and phenolics.

In addition to the civil penalty, Messer, LLC must take steps to prevent future violations including the construction of a new treatment system at its New Cumberland facility, implementation of a response plan in the instance of future violations, mandatory internal inspections, and quarterly reporting requirements to federal and state agencies. 

A consent decree was entered by the United States District Court on Sept. 11, 2023. Messer, LLC did not admit any liability to the United States or the State of West Virginia arising out of the transactions or occurrences alleged in the complaint.

Justice-Owned Bluestone Coke Sued Over Water Pollution In Alabama

The complaint alleges that Bluestone is in violation of the Clean Water Act by discharging pollutants into a stream that exceed levels allowed by its permit.

Environmental and community groups have sued a company owned by the family of Gov. Jim Justice in federal court in Birmingham, Alabama.

Black Warrior Riverkeeper and a local group called GASP filed the complaint against Bluestone Coke in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

The complaint alleges that Bluestone is in violation of the Clean Water Act by discharging pollutants into a stream that exceed levels allowed by its permit.

It also alleges that Bluestone has been discharging pollutants not allowed by its permit such as barium, strontium, E.coli, semi-volatile organic compounds and volatile organic compounds.

It further alleges that the company deposited coal, coke, slag and sediment into a tributary of Five Mile Creek, an unpermitted fill into Waters of the United States.

The Bluestone Coke plant in North Birmingham is currently not in operation.

In December, Bluestone reached a consent decree with the Jefferson County, Alabama, Department of Health to pay a $925,000 penalty, the largest in the agency’s history.

In May, Black Warrior Riverkeeper reported that Bluestone had failed to pay $283,000 of the penalty and would owe an additional $1,000 for every day the payment was late.

Bluestone Coke is one of the numerous companies listed on Justice’s annual financial disclosure to the West Virginia Ethics Commission.

Justice, who is not named in the complaint, is a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2024.

Justice faces other lawsuits, including one brought by the U.S. Justice Department over unpaid fines and penalties.

Storing CO2 And Carbon Credits On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, concerns over CO2 build up in the atmosphere causing climate change have people asking where to store that CO2 so it doesn’t cause problems. But not everyone agrees with storing it back underground. Eric Douglas has the story.

On this West Virginia Morning, concerns over CO2 build up in the atmosphere causing climate change have people asking where to store that CO2 so it doesn’t cause problems. But not everyone agrees with storing it back underground. Eric Douglas has the story.

Also, in this show, forests can help fight climate change by storing planet-warming carbon. That’s the basic premise behind carbon credits – where companies can buy offsets for their pollution from organizations or landowners that maintain woodlands. The Allegheny Front’s Kara Holsopple reports on one program that started in Pennsylvania and sells carbon credits on behalf of smaller family forest owners.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Concord University and Shepherd University.

Caroline MacGregor is our assistant news director and produced this episode.

Teresa Wills is our host.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Hospital Challenges Post-COVID-19 And Plastic Pollution On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, West Virginia’s hospitals continue to navigate an altered landscape since the onset of COVID-19. As Caroline MacGregor reports, even after the end of the pandemic, significant challenges remain.

On this West Virginia Morning, West Virginia’s hospitals continue to navigate an altered landscape since the onset of COVID-19. As Caroline MacGregor reports, even after the end of the pandemic, significant challenges remain.

Also, in this show, The Allegheny Front, based in Pittsburgh, is a public radio program that reports on environmental issues in the region. We listen to their latest story about plastic pollution in our region.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Concord University and Shepherd University.

Eric Douglas is our news director and produced this episode.

Teresa Wills is our host.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Canadian Wildfire Smoke Lingers Over W.Va.

According to the Air Now Fire and Smoke Map, West Virginia’s panhandles are experiencing the majority of particle pollution in the state, especially in the Eastern Panhandle, where Shepherdstown has been issued a code red warning for “unhealthy” air quality.

Officials are encouraging vigilance as smoke from intense Canadian wildfires makes its way south on changing wind patterns.

The smoke arrived in West Virginia over the past few days, as metropolitan areas like New York City and Washington D.C. experienced orange skies due to air pollution.

Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which are microscopic solid or liquid droplets that can be inhaled and cause serious health problems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

PM2.5 is considered unhealthy for “Code Orange” and sensitive groups once the Air Quality Index surpasses 100, according to AirNow, a website that publishes air quality data. The chart measures from green to maroon with green being good and maroon being hazardous for all.

Director of Environmental Health with the American Lung Association (ALA), Kevin Stewart called this “an extensive event.”

“There are more than 150 wildfires, most of which are out of control in Quebec, that are leading to this event,” Stewart said. “And we do know that there are air pollution plumes that are coming out of Canada, affecting states, the whole way from the Ohio Valley to New England to the Carolinas. So this is not a small event.”

The ALA and the EPA have been tracking the pollution plumes from Quebec, Canada.

The above image is a screenshot of the Fire and Smoke Map taken at 12:35 p.m., June 8, 2023. Click here to view the map in real time.

“I’ve seen a succession of events where New England and New York City were affected first, then Pennsylvania, New Jersey, then Maryland and D.C. and I think West Virginia is bringing up the rear here in terms of this part of the country, especially probably more than the north, the Morgantown area,” Steward said.

According to the Air Now Fire and Smoke Map, West Virginia’s panhandles are experiencing the majority of particle pollution in the state, especially in the Eastern Panhandle, where Shepherdstown has been issued a code red warning for “unhealthy” air quality.

Stewart said air pollution levels can change just 50 miles away, or a couple of zip codes away. She said it is important to pay attention to local air quality by checking resources like Airnow.gov to check the air quality in your particular zip code.

“We want people to pay attention to the air quality,” Stewart said. “We also want people to pay attention to members of their families, their loved ones who are in sensitive groups. That includes children, senior citizens, people who have chronic lung disease or heart disease. If anyone’s experiencing, you know, any minor symptoms, it’s important to be in touch with a physician to make sure that you’re getting the proper care and treatment.”

The Canadian smoke is a complex mixture of “piny fine particles” that can get into the deepest parts of the lungs and cross into the bloodstream.

“But we also are aware that there are chemicals in the smoke that are air toxins, it’s just not good to be breathing them. It’s not that they’re necessarily going to cause an immediate health effect,” Stewart said. “But it’s also true that any type of air pollution that includes air toxins from burning things isn’t a good idea to be breathing, it adds to your lifetime cancer risk and other problems like that.”

Dr. Albert Rizzo, the chief medical officer for the American Lung Association, said his association and the EPA are tracking two particles of particular respiratory health concern: the particle matter itself and ozone.

“The particle matter is the one that really goes up when we have wildfires, such as we are having in Canada, and those wildfires send these small particles about maybe a 30th of the size of a hair throughout the air hundreds of miles away, so it can affect large populations of individuals,” Rizzo said. “It tells us that the particle matter now is at a level where not only will people who have underlying lung conditions like asthma or COPD may notice that they’re having a harder time outside coughing, feeling some chest tightness or wheezing.”

Much like air quality on a day-to-day basis, winds and temperatures also change, sending particles with them. Dr. Rizzo said according to multiple reports the smoke could be around for a few weeks.

“It depends on the winds, the temperatures, things of that nature,” Dr. Rizzo said. “You have a lot of mountains in West Virginia, so that can make a difference as well. I think the important thing it tells us is, you got to be on guard, you got to be aware of what’s changing on a daily basis, especially if you’re one of those patients who are at risk because of your lung condition.”

Dr. Rizzo said the best course of action for those with underlying conditions is to limit exposure to the outdoors until the air quality improves. They can do that by limiting outdoor activities and keeping air conditioners on to recirculate air so that particles do not enter the home.

“Individuals who have this should try to make sure they have enough of their medication on hand, especially what we call rescue inhalers if they can get to a mask and are able to use them during times when they’re outdoors,” Rizzo said. 

According to Stewart, West Virginia sits on the edge of the main pollution plume, but varying wind patterns could change that. To check the air particle pollution in your area, visit Fire.airnow.gov.

“So far, thank God, West Virginia isn’t in that area, but at the same time, it doesn’t mean you’re not affected by it, you know. There’s still some increase in air pollution as a consequence of it,” Stewart said. “And it might not be this week, but as long as those wildfires continue, in Quebec, you know, all it will take is another different weather system, and you might be at the brunt of it, depending on which way the wind flows.”

For more information, visit lung.org/wildfires or call 1-800-586-4872 or 1-800-LUNG USA.

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