I would like to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge and thank Governor George Pataki and Commissioner of Health Barbara A. Debuono, MD, MPH for the allocation of $1 million for a cancer mapping project to track cancer cases and learn more about risk factors which are associated with disease.

The cancer mapping project will highlight "hot spots" of cancer concentration in areas on Long Island and ultimately may assist in efforts to find the cure for breast cancer. Therefore, they have allocated the $1 million from the 1998-99 Commissioner's Priority Pool Fund for the mapping project. These funds are immediately available and will have no impact on other cancer initiatives that the Department of Health is undertaking.

1 in 9, The Long Island Breast Cancer coalition, under the leadership of Geri Barish and in its mission to create public awareness of Long Island's breast cancer epidemic, set its goals during its inception to create a comprehensive environmental study to determine environmental risk factors associated with breast cancer incidents. The funding for the mapping project is a milestone for 1 in 9 and a great service to Long Island.

Once again, I offer my sincerest appreciation to the governor and commissioner and congratulations to Geri Barish and 1 in 9 for their commitment and drive in the fight against breast cancer