November 15, 2012

Toledo Blade Reports: 'Toxic' Sludge discovered at Park in Clyde Area

Clyde Cluster Alan Mortensen Attorney Alan Mortensen is a Gibsonburg native who swam at the park's pool as a child.

Attorney Alan W. Mortensen at a Clyde Cancer Cluster press conference on November 14, 2012

Alan W. Mortsen, one of the attorney's retained by the families of Clyde-area children who have suffered from cancer, states that though previous testing indicated the presences of cancer-causing PCBs at a former children's park previously owned by Whirlpool Corp., the recent EPA findings were a shock to the families that Mr. Mortensen and Mr. Lance represent. 

The Salt Lake based, Dewsnup, King & Olsen attorneys, were retained about two and a half months ago by nine of the 36 or so families with children who have been diagnosed, and in some cases, died of cancer. Each of those families have all lived within 12 miles of Clyde. Mr. Mortensen himself is a Gibsonburg native who swam in the Whirlpool park swimming pool as a child. 

Mr. Mortensen said other cancer-causing toxins were found at the park and at other dumping sites in Sandusky County that the Ohio EPA previously had said were not contaminated. 

"The results of these findings is that these are all carcinogens...and can cause the cancers that we've seen in the children in Clyde," Alan Mortensen said.

When asked where the new EPA information about the former park leaves things in his mind, the Sandusky County Administrator, Warren Brown, held up a picture of his 9-year-old daughter, Alexa, who passed away in 2009 after her battle with cancer. 

Clyde cluster Warren and Wendy Brown Warren and Wendy Brown show a picture of their daughter Alexa, who died of cancer at the age of 9. Mr. Brown, Sandusky County's administrator, said Wednesday he promised his daughter her death would not be in vain.

 Warren and Wendy Brown

Warren Brown said, "I'm not going to make any comments but I want you to focus in on that. We're going to get some answers. When Alexa lay on her death bed, I told her her death would not be in vain. We are going to get some answers". 

Mr. Mortensen and Mr. Lance have set up a hotline for residents to call with any information that they may have involving this matter: 419-724-6129.

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