Good day to you. I have lived in Fridley for over 26 years and can not believe this. I have bone cancer in my brain. In 2007 I had brain surgery 3 times in 2007. I am now living with cancer and have to be checked every 6 months. I have 3 grown children and 4 grand-children of which 3 live with me and my daughter. I am shocked and worried. Please let me know more about this as it is concerning. Help!!!
Thank You
Natividad Seefeld
President of Park Plaza Cooperative in Fridley, MN

Honestly, I am hesitant to completely jump on this band wagon (yet), as I have seen media start (or fuel) fear based movements where the information is sometimes a combintaion of facts and myth and/or media presenting misunderstood statistics (no offense Patch).

I just want to throw out part of this picture could be an age demographic. Many Fridley residents become elderly here, and modern day medicine has allowed us to live longer lives. Part of living a longer life is that many people will develop some form of cancer given enough time (age). Even these cancers can be broken down again into cancers you die with, from cancers you die from.

That being said, of course I am concerned and saddened. Ultimatley all these "numbers" are real people who live in my community. I know of three neighbors (60 -70 years of age) who have had cancer, one of which have died. Two other neighbors (40-50) who have had cancer. All generous, lovely people who have shown lots of bravery.

Keep me posted.

Thank you for those wise words, Mandy. It's definitely worth reading what the state expert who researched Fridley cancers had to say: http://patch.com/A-rKRf Today's news is about Brockovich's interest, and a map seemed like a better way to gather anedotal evidence that people were already coming forward with in comments. But we've reached out to other government officials and hope to have more context next week.

Those are definitely valid concerns, Mandy. John Soler, a state epidemiologist, said that half of Minnesotans will contract some type of cancer in their lifetime. “Most people look around and even if they don’t know it’s 50-50, it surprises people,” he said.

As Chris said, the map serves as anecdotal evidence. It is worth noting that anecdotal geographic data could have an importance in determining cause and effect. Brockovich's environmental investigator, Bob Bowcock, will be comparing the locations of cancer cases to the spread of the underground contamination plumes in order to determine whether pollution is serving as a cause of cancer in Fridle.

we moved to fridley when i was in 6th grade and lived there until after i graduated and got married.this was in the late 50's early 60's. i have a father and a brother that both passed away from lung cancer, a sister that is in remission from bladder cancer and does her 6 month check ups, i was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2000 and am now on dialysis plus i have a type of gammopathy that requires blood tests and follow up visits with an oncologist.every 6 months. this sometimes requires a bone marrow biopsy. i was recently in touch with a high school friend only to discover her younger and only sister and her younger and only brother have both passed away from cancer. i still have family living in fridley and surrounding area. i am very concerned about all of this and of course their health.

Thank you gentlemen of Patch. I should have posted this comment, linked to a differenrt article....I will be following this story, getting involved when appropriate, letting others know about this and starting a conversation with them.

Thank you to all who write about their stories and concerns. I will be following this as well. It is a always a surprise to hear this things at the time but after you have a moment to think about the way life is it is even more of a thought that I must remember what it was like in the 1960's. Less rules and regulations for lots of stuff. Companies did as they pleased without getting in trouble. I am on a Hazmat team where I work and I been one at another job as well. Have worked in a burn unit as I had been burned at a work site in my 30's. So safety is a huge deal for me in many ways. I am the president of Park Plaza Cooperative a manufactured home park in Fridley. Our park started in 1960 so you can only guess what the water pipes are like and even the water condition coming out to the residents. I hope that who ever comes to visit us in Fridley can stop by our little community and take a look at us. We in Fridley are within 5 miles of everything you could need and 15 mins from downtown Minnepolis so living here is great. Let's make is a safer place to live.
Natividad Seefeld

My daughter at age 19 developed ovarian cancer in December, 1997 while my husband developed esophageal cancer in March of 1999. I live in Fridley, MN along the Mississippi River.

interesting information on superfund sites :Your Zip Code: 55432
Your Community: ANOKA County

Who Is Polluting Your Community?
Superfund Sites in Your Community
1 FMC CORP. (FRIDLEY PLANT)
2 FRIDLEY COMMONS PARK WELL FIELD
3 KURT MANUFACTURING CO.
4 NAVAL INDUSTRIAL RESERVE ORDNANCE PLANT
5 SOUTH ANDOVER SITE

Please note that our pin at 831 Pandora Drive has three cases of cancer for two residents there.

Has there been any study done on birth defects or rare tumors and cancers in young children? I lived in Fridley for 9 years before my daughter was born. At 2 months she was hospitalized with a collapsed lung from a grapefruit sized benign tumor in her chest. Have you heard of other cases like this? We live half a block from Commons Park.

I think that this info would be more compelling if it excluded lung cancers in smokers. Lung cancer is almost always due to smoking except in rare cases.

I have finally found others who died young like my husband with esophageal cancer. It really scares me, not to mention the idea of possible TCE contamination and its effects on autoimmune diseases.

Ralph Fuechtmann is the Deaf resident of 4th St NE and 57th and his Deaf wife
passed away in Feb 2010 due to breast cancer. They both have lived same house since 1970.

I didn't know what TCE was so I looked it up... Now, it reminded me that there was a foundry? or aluminum something company that dumped into the Rice Creek just before it entered Locke Lake. On the south side of the creek. East side of the tracks.They might have used this de-greaser? I was a kid (1969) and I don't remember too much else. It looked nasty, though. I remember that.

My late husband lived on Concerto Curve in Fridley from 1970 to 1987. In 2006 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away in late 2009. How many are like my husband who lived there many years, moved away and have later become ill with cancer?

Hi, My name is Linda (Reese) Jerkovich. We lived in Fridley from around June of 1960 till we married and moved to NE Mpls. in the summer of 1964. In our graduating class, four of my good friends and I developed cancers.. Two died of
their disease and three of us have survived. All different cancers. I have heard of others, but don't know any facts I could share. Interesting three of us lived on Rice Creek Terrace.

Hi, My name is Barbara (Reinarts) Schuba. I grew up in Columbia Heights on 45th and Jefferson, I'm a 12 year survivor of a very rare type of Ovarian Cancer. I first discovered the cancer when I was just 23 years old, and was finally given the correct diagnosis when I was 30. I know several people from Heights that has had cancer, it seems to me that Columbia Heights has a higher cancer rate than the norm as well. I think Columbia Heights should be included in the investigation. Who's with me?

My children and I lived in Fridley for about 15 years. We lived a few blocks from Hays School on Overton Drive. My daughter developed Colon cancer and died of it in 2004 at the age of 37. I will be very interested in learning what they discover if anything and now I worry about my Son!

An addition. My daughter, who went to Fridley schools, also had Thyroid Cancer 1994. Her name was Anne Ardito. I don't know if any of her classmates also have had or do have cancer in any form.

Eileen - I was in Anne's grade and lived a block over on Pandora. She was such a wonderful girl. She was one of the first friends I made when we moved to Fridley in 3rd grade. I loved growing up with her. It broke my heart when I heard she passed away. I'm so sorry for your loss. Yes, there have been other classmates of ours who have gotten cancer already and some have died -- on Pandora, Monroe, and Rice Creek. It is heartbreaking. - Terri (Jaksha) Dauplaise

For anyone in doubt you should educate yourself on the statistical probably of cancer cases per million. My sister died at 8. My cousin at 4. We were all covered with the chemicals from FMC in '65 when th tornados destroyed Fridley. Then check out the history of FMC and how they rated in the top 10 for the most toxic sites in America. There are hundreds of families that have severe health issues and deaths related to this.

Lastly, the Fridley water was built on a toxic land fill until it was moved. These are all facts that are available.

The rice creek neighborhood and the neighborhood by FMC were hit the hardest.

I lived in Fridley from 1955 to 1964. We lived along the Mississippi River on 6526 East River Road and Mississippi St. As a group of kids growing up in Fridley we often played by the river and we would witness many things that were dumped in the river and buried on the lands. Back during those times there were many farmer's (use of chemicals/DDT on the land) and the use of insect fogger sprayed up and down the road ways every year.

Our Uncle worked for a large company not far from us and he would bury or dump barrels of chemicals around Fridley. Some of these chemicals were disposed in dumps on farm lands. I can't tell you where he dumped the barrels because he died of cancer when he was in his twenties.

The Service Stations back then would throw oil and chemicals in dumpster's that leaked daily and would run into the soil. This caused anger with neighbors due to the smell and soil erosion.

Many neighbors back then had cancer. My best friend's Mother died at 34 yrs of cancer. My Mother died of cancer at 56 yrs. We all lived in Fridley.

I suggest the time is not to fear and go into anger, You'll get more answers if you stand together as one with Erin. To anyone who has lost someone to cancer or has cancer, God Bless You.

I hope this information will help in finding an answer. I loved growing up in Fridley.

My name is Mary Jo Henson Theis. I lived at 270 61st Ave. My mother died at age 43, my father at age 56 and my beloved brother last year at age 55. Through the years we lost 5 dogs to cancer as well as other pets. What is sad is all had full body cancer and a clean life style, Water was the beverage of choice. I look back at my years there and wonder how could this could have happened. I remember all the dead birds we would find and the 6 legged frogs. As a kid you think of this as a freak thing. When you are older it scares you for what happened to our air, land and water. My whole family died.and now the family home is foreclosed on and an innocent family is at risk. I watched people I loved die within months. The pain was unbearable. When I wiped a bloody tear from my brothers face and he asked why I had no words.

Don't forget Tyro Manufacturing,formally Dow Chemical and Lamar. My brother worked there from 1970 until it folded 6 or so years ago,

Monique Ramirez-Toetschinger

I grew up in Fridley and I am a two time survivor of bone cancer in my right leg. It arrived the first time when I was 15 years old and in 10th grade. I had to quit school because in order to graduate I needed to be there for my senior year. I made it through the chemo and radiation, got my GED, went to college and lived a pretty heathy life until I was 35 years old. I had my second pregnancy then and the cancer returned in my leg. The tumor just came back alive. The second time was really bad but technology and team of great Dr.s at the U of M allowed me to keep my leg. Ironically, I started a transportation business in 1989 and one my clients worked for FMC. It is called something else now, but anyway I met him in probably 2005. This man told me he had worked for FMC for 15 years and the company provides bottled water for employees. There are no drinking fountains in the building that work. This confirmed what I have thought every since I watched the Erin Brokovich movie. I know the water somehow has been contaminated and the companies on East River Rd know it also. What will be, will be........but I am glad people are starting to pay attention finally. Whatever it will take to protect future generations from unnecessary suffering I would love to be a part of.

We have know this since living in Fridley, (40yrs) (brand new Home)... FMC is near by and buried toxic waste. We have 5 right in a row that died from cancer. In two blocks ... 9 cancers all dead except three. (they have been battling for 6 or 7 yrs.) In and out of hospitals. Another factor, we all have had leaks 7 for me and the plumber says they all know about Fridleys pipes. Something eats through them. All neighbors have the same problem. The plumber says if it eats through pipes .. what does it do to your insides. I have had bottled water the past 20 yrs. and had some sort of filter b-4 that.. Just store bought. Something is very WRONG.. the cancer and the pipes .. Not good. My husband had two cancers throat and Lung. DIed 10-20-10. 5 cancers right in a row on my block. Gustafson,Pedersen, Gerdeen and his MOM. and Donna Odlund.. in a row... good odds or what.??. and only one was older Joels MOM, who lived in Fridley also. Shirley Pedersen 763-571-8851. PS..... do not forget about the Pipes ask anyone on our block. My dad lived in Mpls. in a new home they bought and never had a pipe that had pin holes in it ever... lived their 40 yrs.

I forgot my brother died of cancer and his wife of brain cancer, he was 39 and she was around 47.. they lived on Marshall St. NE. Her sister died of cancer also of the colon.. I probably can think of more.... ones who moved away after retiring .. Just rememberd another guy that lived on Marshall Mr. Glomiak.. I sure their are so many more. Shirley.. my last post above. I am getting upset, so better close..S. Happy Fathers Day..

My mother just recently died of lung cancer and resided on 61st and Washington...what alarms me is that she quit smoking 15 years ago...was this from smoking or living in fridley for so many years,least to say I would be curious to find out....I love fridley and I don't want to move but I have children and I will if all this is true...I don't want me or my loved ones no be next...

We lived at 2nd St and then Brookview, right next to Rice Creek, went for 1000's of walks in Rice Creek park. We moved here in 1979 and my mom still lives here. She was diagnosed with colon cancer 15 years ago. It was the largest tumor the Dr. ever saw that hadn't spread to the liver. She is thankfully fine now. We both have had thyroid diagnosis and pretty much every friend I went to school with has 1 or more parent dead from cancer and only 1 of those smoked. My mom's colon cancer was not hereditary and she met none of the risk factors.

We lived at 5530 6th St. , directly west of the 100 Twin Drive-in. Dad built home there in 1948 when i was 2 yrs old. My Dad, Jim Pettipiece, worked at the drive-in where they sprayed DDT 2x each night for mosquitos. My dad, non-smoker, passed away in 1991 from Small Cell Carcinoma, and Dr.s questioned if he'd ever lived in Arizona. No he hadn't, but we told Dr.s of all the DDT he and other workers were subjected to while spraying from trucks that drove up and down every row between the speakers.

I was diagnoised with autoammune disease 5 years ago, im doing better, but do have difficult days, I lived on 6941 east River Road for 12 years, who do I talk too.

The Fridley Cancer Cluster Facebook group may be able to provide you with more information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/237415153006099/

Erin Brockovich also has a web page addressing Fridley residents' cancer concerns: http://www.brockovich.com/projects/fridley-minnesota/

My dad has prostate cancer we lived on hickory dr in the 60s and early seventies. Glenn mcgregor is my name