Acreage cancer cluster: One year later and very few answers

THE ACREAGE - Acreage residents Bill and Joyce Featherstone find comfort playing with their two dogs.

The pups remind them of the special, but limited time they had with their son, who loved the animals.

The beloved Joey died last September of a brain tumor.

"Instead of me sitting here and being confident, I'm sitting here thinking everyone is asleep at the wheel," Bill Featherstone said.  "No one is paying attention."

13 Acreage families with children who had a pediatric brain tumor from 1994-2008 were studied. 11 of those tumors were malignant. There are also countless more reports of adult tumors.

In February, the Department of Environmental Protection confirmed there is in fact a cluster, but there has not been any indication as to its source.

A sampling of the water has been tested, families interviewed, surveys compiled and results from a long- awaited soil test are expected back next month.

But faith in the people who are supposed to be protecting and monitoring the situation is weak.

"I don't believe the results are false, " Featherstone said. "They are not being used in context or combined together."

Residents also complain about a lack of communication.

The Palm Beach County Health Department opened an office in The Acreage three months ago with hopes of keeping residents updated.

"We continue to teleconference every week," said Tim O'Connor with the Palm Beach County Health Department.  "We have epidemiologists on hand as well."

Still, after countless meetings with state and federal leaders, doctors, and scientists, the mystery is nowhere near being solved- and the community remains paralyzed with fear.

Jessica Beegle manages a pool supply store.  "I see customers come in here all the time who say they just found out they have cancer," Beegle said. 

It's been a miserable year for many in this rural community. Property values have plummeted, children have died, other have become sick.

And yet no answers, no peace.

"I've been let down in a lot of ways," Featherstone said.  "Everybody has been let down."

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