Iredell Co. officials respond to state report on thyroid cancer cases in area

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — Public officials are working to solve the Iredell County's thyroid cancer mystery. They met for the first time since a state Health and Human Services Department report released Wednesday found no link between coal ash and thyroid cancer.

There are more coal ash fills in the Mooresville area than anywhere else in the state.

Within one week, the county Health Department responded to the report saying, "...no conclusions can be drawn from the report about the association between any environmental contaminant and thyroid cancer."

Residents have worried for years that the material is dangerous to their health.

County officials said Friday they will continue searching for answers.

[State report can't pinpoint reason for higher rate of thyroid cancer cases in Iredell County]

“This is something that's very complicated, and we've got to be very careful about what we do and what we say,” Rep. John Fraley, R-Iredell County, said.

Duke Energy hopes the report will provide clarity after what the company calls “consistently misleading and unfounded speculation by critic groups about coal ash."

A spokesperson told Channel 9 the report, "confirmed there are no known links to coal ash. DHHS also looked at Duke Energy’s McGuire nuclear operations and found no routes of exposure."

Cox Media Group