Clyde cancer cluster facts for kids

The Clyde cancer cluster was a situation where more children than expected got cancer in and around Clyde, Ohio, in the United States. This unusual number of cases was officially recognized by the Ohio Department of Health in 2009.

Over an 11-year period, ten childhood cancers were found in an area where only about five were expected. Even more concerning, four cases of brain and central nervous system cancers were reported, when less than one was expected. Health experts said the chances of this happening by accident were very, very small – less than 1 in 20. Even after many years of searching, no clear reason or common link between these cancer cases has been found.

Later, tests by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency showed that soil at a former park called Whirlpool Park, owned by the Whirlpool Corporation in Green Springs, Ohio, had harmful chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Whirlpool Corporation faced lawsuits because some people thought the park might be connected to the cancer cluster. However, these lawsuits were later dropped or dismissed. In 2016, the EPA announced that Whirlpool Park had been cleaned up and was free of PCB contamination.

How the Investigation Started

In 2006, the Ohio Department of Health noticed that many children in the Clyde area were getting cancer, which was unusual. The next year, in 2007, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency began looking into what might be causing this. Many people in the community felt frustrated because they thought the agencies weren't making fast enough progress. Not finding a clear cause for the cancer cluster made the affected families and community members very worried.

In December 2009, during a meeting with families affected by the cluster, the Department of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency shared a map. This map showed where the homes of the children with cancer were located.

Efforts to Get Help

In 2009, Warren and Wendy Brown, who used to live in Clyde, traveled to Washington, D.C.. Their daughter, Alexa Brown, had passed away from cancer. They went to speak with lawmakers and try to get more support and funding for the investigation into the cancer cluster. They wanted to help find answers and prevent similar situations.

Looking into Whirlpool Corporation

In late 2011 and early 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spent several months testing soil in Clyde and nearby areas. In July 2012, investigators found polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the soil of a property once known as Whirlpool Park. PCBs are chemicals that can likely cause cancer in humans.

Whirlpool Park was a recreational park owned by the Whirlpool Corporation until it closed in 2008. The park, located near Green Springs, Ohio, had a pool, playground, and basketball court. It seemed that this property had been used as a place to dump these toxic chemicals. The EPA also checked Whirlpool's main factory in Clyde but did not find any other illegal chemicals there.

On March 28, 2013, a large class action lawsuit was filed against Whirlpool and other companies. This lawsuit, called Wendy Brown, et al. v. Whirlpool Corporation, involved 27 people, including Wendy and Warren Brown. The lawsuit asked for money to cover the costs of cleaning homes and the park, and for the overall harm caused by the cancer cluster. This lawsuit was later dropped by the plaintiffs in early 2015. In August 2015, Whirlpool promised to clean up all the toxic waste from the property.

Community Response

Throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, many people in Clyde and across Ohio came together. They held fundraisers, gave donations, and worked to remember the children who had died from cancer in the cluster. Some Clyde residents even made documentaries. These films shared personal stories about cancer and how it affected their community.