Huntersville mayor wants to expand testing of cancer cluster

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — There are new developments in an ongoing Eyewitness News investigation into cases of a rare eye cancer in Huntersville.

For months, health officials have focused on testing in and around Hopewell High School, where nearly a dozen victims of ocular melanoma were either students or lived or worked nearby.

Now Huntersville Mayor John Aneralla said he’s pushing for expanding testing.

“Huntersville will take the lead on not only testing in the Hopewell area but also the surrounding town, east and west of the town limits,” Aneralla said.

Town leaders, Mecklenburg County commissioners, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials and cancer patients have been in talks about testing air, water and soil in the area for months, but finding ways to pay for the testing has been a challenge.

But Eyewitness News has learned state legislators have included $100,000 for testing in Huntersville in the state budget being negotiated in Raleigh.

"We want to have the resources to bring in the expertise or skill sets in order to turn over every rock," Sen. Jeff Tarte, who is leading the push for funding in the legislature, said.

Eyewitness News has been investigating the unusual number of eye cancer cases in Huntersville for two years.

Our questions have led to investigations by state and county health officials and concerns among eye cancer experts across the country. 

Earlier in June, an initial investigation paid for by CMS found "no evidence of recognized environmental conditions" at Hopewell that showed links to cancer.  

However, that investigation centered only on documentation of previous land uses and interviews. 

No actual testing of soil, water or air was done. 

That has been a source of frustration for Kenny Colbert, whose daughter Kenan died of ocular melanoma two years ago. 

Since then, he's been calling for rigorous environmental testing in and around the Hopewell area. 

Word that state funding may soon be available to pay for it is encouraging. 

"Hopefully we can find some source so that we don't have a report of this. Who's to say that in another five years we don't have 10 more cases of this?" Colbert said.

Huntersville leaders said if state funding comes through, they hope to take soil samples before school resumes at Hopewell High in August.

Cox Media Group