A group in Frederick maintains it uncovered evidence of toxic waste and contamination near Fort Detrick that has led to a devastating spike in cancer.

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The group behind Fighting for Frederick unveiled the findings of a year-long investigation. It says it uncovered toxic and bio-hazardous waste that left more than a thousand people in this community either dead from or battling cancer.

Members of the Kristen Renee foundation, named for a young woman who died from cancer, went undercover at Fort Detrick. They claim they found bags filled with bio-hazardous waste smoldering in the sun.

“There is a blatant cover-up at Fort Detrick. They are misleading us,” said Randy White, the father of Kristen Renee and founder of the foundation.

He said he obtained his findings covertly or with help from dozens of people inside the fort. He maintains waste and residue from testing done years ago left ground water saturated with arsenic and other deadly toxins. He believes practices here continue to threaten the health of those living nearby.

“They dumped radioactive waste down the drain,” he alleges. White says officials here are deliberately misleading the public.

A representative of Fort Detrick says the information on cancer is outdated, and the army has been forthcoming about all of it's testing.

“We are very transparent,” said Robert Sperling, director of public affairs. “We are making all of our data available to the public.”

“I had cancer when I was 13, Hodgkins disease, and I just had a bout of breast cancer,” said Jen Pette-Hahn, a neighbor of the fort. She says cancer in the periphery of Fort Detrick is high and welcomes White's findings.