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Krug Column: McCullom Lake Cancer Story Unsettling

Three small-town neighbors who lived side by side develop brain cancer.

One dies.

Two are left looking for answers.

A high-powered attorney flies in from Philadelphia, seeking people facing similar circumstances. He wants them to come forward and to take part in a class-action lawsuit against five companies whose chemicals, he alleges, polluted the well water that spawned the cancer.

"The spilling, leaking and dumping into the air, soil and groundwater massive quantities of highly toxic chemicals ... that invaded the air and water supply of these men’s homes," the lawsuit states.

The story is frightening, seemingly cut from a worst-case scenario documentary about a faraway place.

But the backdrop is right here in northern McHenry County.

The story developing in McCullom Lake is frightening, and without question the stuff that sends a shiver up your spine.

Am I safe?

Have I been exposed?

Is my water free of contaminants?

All excellent questions.

Within the past week, the area has been swept up in the fervor of this story. Not difficult to gauge why. There is nothing more terrifying than the fear of the unknown. Except, perhaps, for fear of the uncertain.

It could be a widespread problem that dates back decades. Or the illnesses that these neighbors have developed might prove to be a cruel and random coincidence.

At this point, there are more questions than answers.

On Page 1A in today’s edition, reporter Kevin Craver explores one of the questions: the potential for cancer clusters and how they are determined.

We will continue to bring the pieces of this story to print and to offer our readers the most complete reporting on this topic.

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