The Great Lakes provide drinking water to 40 million peopleThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked the Institute of Medicine to referee in a debate over whether pollution in the Great Lakes may have serious health consequences for people who live in the region, including higher infant mortality, low birth weight and risk of certain cancers.

According to the New York Times, the presence of hazardous chemicals has long been a concern to residents near the lakes. But the CDC withheld a report by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry that affirmed those concerns, citing the possibility for speculation and misinterpretation.

However, Dr. Christopher De Rosa, the report's author, said the findings were reviewed by more than 200 experts, many of whom found the information too compelling not to release.

The Institute of Medicine will issue its conclusions by June 30.