Exclusive: Delaware County Council Members Wondering If Department Of Health Is A Necessity

Joe Holden reports.

COSBY BY LOS ANGELES TIMES AREOUT TODAY, GET THEM WHERE EVERYOU GET YOUR POD CASTS.WE HAVE NEW DEVELOPMENTSIN THE STORE THAT I WE HAVEBEEN FOLLOWING FOR MONTHS.ELEVATED LEVELS OF THE CANCERAND OTHER SICKNESSES INNORWOOD, BUCKS COUNTY.SOME COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERSARE WONDERING IF A COUNTYDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS ANECESSITY.YEAH, OUR JOE HOLDEN'S NOWIN MEDIA, TONIGHT, DELAWARECOUNT WHICH EXCLUSIVE NEWINFORMATION FOR US TONIGHT,JOE.REPORTER: SO COUNTY COUNCILMEMBERS BELIEVE IF DELAWARECOUNTY HAD ITS OWN HEALTHDEPARTMENT THERE WOULD HAVEBEEN BET ARE COORDINATION ANDCOMMUNICATION, CONCERNING THATFEDERAL INVESTIGATION, INNORWOOD.WE CAN TELL THAW PARENTS HAVETOLD US, THAT THEY NEVER KNEWTHAT THERE WAS EVER ANYINVESTIGATION UNTIL WE TOOKTHIS STORY TO AIR.THERE WERE NO NOTIFICATIONS.THERE WAS BE IN TO NOTIFY.THAT IS REALLY THE PROBLEMTHERE WAS BE IN IN THE COUNTTOY NOTIFY REPORT REPORT NEWLYSWORN IN DELAWARE COUNTYCOUNCIL MEMBERS TELL ME IF THECOUNTY HAD A HEALTH DEPARTMENTOF ITS OWN, PERHAPS RED FLAGSIN NORWOOD WOULD HAVE BEENDETECT SOONER.IF YOU DON'T HAVE A HEALTHDEPARTMENT YOU DO NOT SEE ITUNTIL IT IS AT A HIGH LEVELWHERE YOU SEE THE STATE COMINGINTO IMPLEMENT SOMETHING BUTWE HAVE ALREADY GONE TOO FAR.IF WE HAD A HEALTH DEPARTMENTWE WOULD STOP THAT EARLY ONAND PROVIDE BETTER HEALTHOUTCOMES FOR OUR RESIDENTS.REPORTER: EPA FOR TWO YEARSHAS BEEN EVALUATING SOIL,WATER SAMPLES NEAR NORWOODBALL FIELD TO UNCOVER CANCERRATES AND OLD TOWN DUMP.IN NOVEMBER THE AGENCYREVEALED NONE HAD BEEN DETECTBUT PROMISED FURTHER TESTING.THE PARENTS OF THE DECEASEDSECOND GRADE INNER NORWOODTOLD CBS-3 THEY WERE UNAWAREOF THE FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONUNTIL THEY SAW OUR REPORTING.THESE COUNTY LEADERS BELIEVETHE ABSENCE OF THE LOCALHEALTH DEPARTMENT IS APROBLEM, AND, USED NORWOOD ASAN EXAMPLE.THINK OF THE PARENT FOR MEIT WOULD BE DEVASTATE TO GOTHINK I MIGHT HAVE DONE THINGSDIFFERENTLY.I MIGHT IN THE HAVE BOUGHTTHIS HOUSE.I MIGHT HAVE MOVED.I MIGHT HAVE DONE A WHOLE LOTOF THINGS, I MIGHT HAVE USEDDIFFERENT WATER.WHATEVER YOU THINK IT MIGHTBE, I DIDN'T KNOW AND PART OFWHAT A PUBLIC HEALTHDEPARTMENT DOES IS IT GATHERSINFORMATION, AND IT SHARESINFORMATION.REPORTER: COUNCIL MEMBERSARE EVALUATING THE COST TOLAUNCH A HEALTH DEPARTMENT,AND CALCULATED THE MATH TOBREAK DOWN TO ROUGHLY TWODOLLARS ANNUALLY FOR COUNTYRESIDENT.DEPARTMENT, YOU REALLY AREADVOCATING TO THE STATE ANDWHILE, SMALL GOVERNMENT ISOKAY AND DENSELY POPULATEDAREA I DON'T THINK IT IS OKAY.THE CREATION OF THE COUNTYHEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL STILLBE SUBJECT TO MEETINGS, ANDWHERE THE FUNDING WILL COMEFROM AND, OF COURSE, DEBATE.LIVE OUTSIDE THE COURT HOUSE