By Marci Izard

Northampton, Mass. (abc40)  Residents' concerns that the Northampton Regional Landfill impacts cancer rates were addressed at a City meeting Tuesday night.

Representatives from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health presented the results of their study.

"Overall we did not see any unusual patterns that would make us think there was something common amongst individuals diagnosed," said Jan Sullivan of the Department of Public Health.

A company hired by the city, Gradient Corporation, presented similar findings.

"Overall there was no increased cancer around the landfill," said Julie Goodman of Gradient.

But those findings have not eased all residents' concerns.  To that degree the watchdog group "Citizens United for a Healthy Future" asked Dr. Richard Clapp, a professor of Environmental Health at Boston University to look over Gradient's findings -which were released over the summer.

Dr. Clapp said he found some red flags.

"There is information in the Gradient report that is not highlighted but it suggests ... there are unusual patterns of cancer," Clapp said.  "It's not a clear bill of health as far as I'm concerned."

Dr. Clapp points particularly to Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  It is one of four cancers that had a higher rate of cases observed that was expected.  That was also the case for breast cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer.

Though the rates were only slightly higher than expected, he says seeing that data within one mile of the landfill should not be ignored.