Wednesday night at 10pm on News 4 we will air my story on a very curious study being conducted by local health officials.
For years they have been trying to determine exactly why the liver cancer rate for people living near the former Kelly Air Force Base is double that of the rest of the state.
They've done numerous studies on a cancer causing substance called TCE, that for years was used at Kelly, and that seeped into the groundwater beneath 22,000 homes nearby. Years have gone by, dozens of residents have died, yet the county claims the studies have found no link between TCE and the liver cancer deaths.
So now they are going in a new direction: studying corn tortillas to see if they could be causing the cancer. Yes, the fluffy, delicious, South Texas favorite that gives structure to our enchiladas.
When I asked residents in the affected area what they thought about the new, $90,000 study, the response was always along the lines of, "You've got to be kidding me!".
Well, it's no joke. I hope you will tune in for the story tomorrow night at 10 on News 4.
With a big, corn tortilla taco in your hand.