"Corn kills" says metro health

As most of the southwest section of San Antonio sits atop a toxic soup of chemicals from pesticides to heavy metals to hydrocarbon (oil) products, the always 'insightful' SA Metropolitan Health Dept is looking to validate its claim that people's food, and thus their culture, make them sick.

Numerous studies have been unable to deny that excessive amount of liver cancer in the community. The toxic plume is full of PCE and TCE, solvents proven over and over again to cause liver cancer, in even the tiniest of amounts. But intent on blaming people instead of pollutants, MetroHealth is launching an investigation into a fungus that grows on corn. There is no evidence that this is linked to liver cancer.

Since the beginning of the struggle against Kelly Air Force Base, Fernando Guerra, the director has not been shy to point out that he believes people are sick because "they eat too many beans and tortillas and are lazy." Now he is spending tax-payer dollars to try to use flawed science to justify his racism.

So drink that TCE-poisoned water, because according to the health department its popcorn and tacos that are giving you cancer. YOU are at fault, not the air force and its chemicals.

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"Toxic Triangle": Liver Cancer Study Results Released

Last Update: Jul 18, 2007 6:23 PM WOAI

Posted By: Maritza Nunez,

There have been years of questions, but so far, no answers. Hundreds of people have died from liver cancer in communities surrounding the former Kelly Air Force Base. Now, health leaders say they are no closer to finding out why people are dying.

Purple crosses dot this modest neighborhood near the old Kelly Air Force Base, sometimes called the "toxic triangle." They represent people who have died, some of them suffered from liver cancer.

Many who still live here believe chemical contamination from Kelly is to blame.

In response to those critics, Dr. Fernando Guerra of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department says, "We have to certainly try to gather as much evidence as we can to give them reassurance and that's what we've tried to do."

Last year, the health department looked for any link between the high rate of liver cancer here and the contamination at Kelly.

The results of that study were released Wednesday and Dr. Guerra says there is no direct link between the two.

"You can't make any conclusions that there are attributable excess cases of liver cancer to contamination or to living in that community," says Dr. Guerra.

He tells News 4 WOAI only a handful of people participated in the study and there wasn't enough evidence to prove that contamination made people in that area sick.

"There was not any clustering, for example, where you see suddenly in a clearly defined area that you have any number of cases that may be related to [contamination]. That didn't occur."

The Metropolitan Health Department has already started work on a new study. This one will examine the diets of people who live near Kelly.

Researchers from Texas A&M and Texas Tech Universities will look at a possible link between corn tortillas and liver cancer.