Petition aims to spur U-turn on cancer study

THOUSANDS of people are being asked to sign a petition aimed at persuading Health Minister Mary Harney to reverse her decision not to carry out a baseline health study in a harbour town blighted by cancer.

Anger and dismay were expressed last week when the health minister revealed she did not intend to carry out the study, even though a 500,000 tonne toxic dump discovered in the area, two years ago, contained the highly carcinogenic Chromium 6.

The urban area of Cobh has a 37% higher rate of cancer than the national average, according to the National Cancer Registry.