Unacceptable: DEP is More Problem Than Solution

Last week, an 80-year-old cancer patient asking about the progress of reopening the Cornerstone Care health clinic. It’s important to her because she can’t drive very far for medical care because of her ongoing chemotherapy.

Her dilemma brought back memories of driving my late grandmother to and from chemo—every breath was an effort, every unnecessary action took an indescribable toll on her body.

By failing to disclose vital public information that could ease the suffering of that woman and others like her, the state Department of Environmental Protection’s role has fundamentally shifted from being part of Cornerstone’s solution to being part of the problem.

On June 13, the DEP sent me a summary of the environmental testing conducted at Cornerstone Care, a non-profit health center in the Burgettstown area.

Cornerstone closed on May 5 after the third evacuation of the facility because of mysterious odors, described as an acetone-type smell, prominent during windy conditions and making employees ill. After ignoring Cornerstone’s pleas for assistance for several weeks, DEP finally conducted a thorough air quality test at the facility on June 5.

So what did the DEP find at Cornerstone? That’s an impossible question to answer because the agency won’t release the data it collected. There’s no way to sugarcoat it—the startling and sad reality is the Department of Environmental Protection is playing political games with the health and well-being of Pennsylvania residents.

The relevant part of the short summary I received from DEP stated, “Readings of compounds such as ethane, Ethylbenzene, Hexane, and propane are likely the result of emissions from one or both of the large propane tanks on the property.  There was also a “spike” of Methyl isobutyl ketone (also known as MIBK); that is of note because it is the one compound that has an odor similar to the one that was described by the building occupants during the evacuations.”

Several questions immediately came to mind. First and foremost: How did the DEP determine the compounds were ‘likely’ from the propane tanks, since HAZMAT teams and emergencyresponders checked the tanks following the earlier evacuations with no reported leaks, and the tanks likely weren’t in use on a sunny day in June when the clinic was closed?

Second, the summary discusses compounds ‘such as’ ethane, Ethylbenzene, Hexane and propane—the language suggests additional yet similar compounds were detected.

To answer these questions, I requested the raw test results—the actual data collected from the testing, not just the DEP’s analysis and interpretation. This data is crucial because it provides answers the analysis cannot. For example, we need to know whether other compounds were detected, even at levels below the DEP’s reporting limit; the mere combination of certain compounds could pinpoint the source of the problem.

We also need quality control information to know exactly how long the testing lasted, which could indicate whether the ‘spike’ in MIBK was from a quick, passing exposure or was already present when the sampling period started.

Along with a thousand other details contained in the raw data, these facts are essential for scientists working with Cornerstone to find and eliminate the problem once and for all. This isn’t nitpicking; these are crucially important details.

On June 14 at 10:41 a.m., I was told via email by DEP that the raw testing data, all 400 pages worth, was being printed and would be personally delivered from the Bureau of Labs in Harrisburg to my office in the Capitol by the end of the day.

Less than three hours later, I received another email from DEP stating, “After further consultation, the general thought is that the raw data needs to be analyzed to show what the data actually says and does.” The email goes on to suggest I file a request under the Right To Know Law if I still want the raw data itself.

I suddenly realized something was very, very wrong. After all, hadn’t the DEP just released its analysis the day before to the media? The email response to that question from DEP was, “To be very clear, what was shared yesterday was 100 percent accurate. The documents shared with you yesterday (attached) provide the answers. These are based on analysis of the raw data.”

So let’s take a minute and think this through: If DEP’s statement is true, and the analysis is 100 percent accurate, then what’s left to analyze? If the agency is so sure about the accuracy of its analysis, why not just release the raw data to put all doubt to rest?

If the goal is to find the problem and eliminate it, why not give the experts every possible scrap of information to increase their chances of success? If everything is on the level, what is there to hide?

For DEP to withhold the raw testing data is unacceptable and raises very serious questions as to the department’s credibility and motives. I filed a Right To Know Request on June 14, but the process could take weeks, which is time Cornerstone doesn’t have as they desperately search for another temporary home by June 30.

The Right To Know Request will also cost taxpayers 25 cents per page to copy the data, which is a senseless waste of public funds.

The state Department of Environmental Protection does not hold a monopoly on science, and its clumsy attempt to do so is offensive. Its conclusions must be supported by facts, and until it releases its raw testing data to the public for independent analysis, I don’t see how anyone can blindly accept its conclusions as objective or accurate.

DEP’s own words suggest a reality ranging from simple ineptitude to something far more disturbing. The agency's obstruction only serves to fan the flames of misinformation and needless speculation. This isn’t just bureaucratic chest thumping—real people are suffering because of these delays and obstructionist roadblocks, but no one seems to care.

This cannot be about politics or an agenda. We must work together to find and fix the problem so Cornerstone Care can reopen its doors to patients in need, but we can’t solve this problem without the 400 pages of data sitting in a drawer somewhere in Harrisburg.

The DEP owes everyone, including the cancer patient who called because she just wants her local doctor’s office back, a real explanation. We don’t want political spin—we just want the truth; and although it appears the truth won’t come out without a fight, rest assured it’s a fight worth winning.

The DEP Citizens’ Advisory Council can be reached at 717-787-4527.