Saturday, July 31, 2010
Freelance Investigations: Editorial OPINION: Hydraulic Fracturing Should be Banned in...
Freelance Investigations: Editorial OPINION: Hydraulic Fracturing Should be Banned in...: " Robert Catell, former chairman of National Grid, USA and currently Chairman of the Advanced Energy Center Advisory Board at Stony Br..."
Friday, July 30, 2010
OPINION: Hydraulic Fracturing Should be Banned in All States
Robert Catell, former chairman of National Grid, USA and currently Chairman of the Advanced Energy Center Advisory Board at Stony Brook University weighed in today in an opinion piece in Newsday about his views on gas drilling using the method known as "hydraulic fracturing". (Opinion; Newsday "Don't Reject Gas Drilling Out of Hand" July 30, 2010) He suggests the Marcellus Shale under New York and five other states could "fulfill the entire nation's natural gas needs for many years." I suggest Mr. Catell watch Sundance Film Festival's Award Winning documentary on HBO called "Gasland" by Josh Fox, a Pennsylvania native who was offered $100,000 dollars for the rights to drill for gas on his property. Instead of jumping at the money Mr. Fox opted on a journey across America to see the environmental consequences to what is now known as "fracking".
The documentary outlines the environmental devastation and irreversible destruction caused by this obscene method of drilling for gas in large sections of shale rock under the earth.
The process uses Volatile Organic Chemicals, (VOC's) which will never biodegrade and poison the land into which it is pumped. The process which except for the "Halliburton Loophole" contained in the Bush-Cheney Energy Policy Act of 2005, would be in violation of both the Safe Water Drinking Act and the Clean Air Act. The loophole allows them to pump millions of gallons of VOC's into the ground without even having to identify the chemicals used. The process wastes millions and millions of gallons of clean water and the water that is "created" is toxic and where is that going? Much of it stays in the ground, leaches out and nearby homeowners have found their wells are now unsafe to drink. Some are so contaminated, the tap water can light on fire with a match right out of the faucet. The pictures are irrefutable evidence of the problem with the "new technology".
Mr. Catell calls these "highly isolated incidents of well-water contamination in some locations" and continues that "there are questions about the safety of water management and disposal. But the industry is well aware of these issues, and knows that they can be handled with proper design and management of water resources enforced by state regulations."
These "issues" are making many people sick in more than five states, according to the documentary. Healthy people find themselves with serious neurological and gastrointestinal problems soon after the wells were drilled nearby to their homes. The process is destroying the land forever with volatile organic compounds; shown in the documentary labelled with the skull and crossbones and necessary hazardous material warnings they deserve and must display on the tanks they are stored in. The worst part is, Bush and Cheney leased our public lands in Colorado adjacent to Yellowstone where formerly animals would make their annual migrations. Pictures of these frightened creatures looking up at these monstrous wells- a scene likened to a moonscape covered with hundreds of wells, where trees and forest used to be are startling and saddening. How could this have been allowed to happen on federally owned land which was supposed to be being protected for generations to come for the people?
Mr. Catell wants state regulations to cure the problems? There is an official from the United States Department of Environmental Protection Agency who spoke in the documentary as an individual citizen, because he is forbidden to speak as an EPA representative. He said the workers and officials at the EPA were told to "do nothing" by the officials in the Bush-Cheney administration and until he is told he can now do his job again, his hands are tied. The people who allowed this to happen should be in handcuffs and sent to prison. This is un-American and to tell EPA officials to stand down and not to do their job is tantamount to treason. We pay for the EPA officials to protect our environment.
The Marcellus Shale formation in which the gas companies have obtained leases to drill in Pennsylvania and New York sits underground directly adjacent to the upstate aquifers that represents the largest unfiltered clean water source in the world. These aquifers supply drinking water to millions of people in the northeast region and it is insanity to even think about using this already proven toxic method of obtaining energy. There is currently a moratorium on drilling in New York. It is a temporary measure that must be made permanent.
Mr. Catell now touts the New York Energy Policy Institute at Stony Brook to do the assessment of the technology to determine if it's safe. What a surprise he wants millions of dollars to do a study at his University....Stony Brook. No bias or conflict there right? The time for these studies was BEFORE they ravaged the people and land with this toxic technology Mr. Catell. (Mr. Catell is also the Energy Policy Advisor Council Chairman). Why should we now waste millions to do an assessment of what we have already clearly seen to be a disaster in Colorado, Texas, Pennsylvania and several other mid-Atlantic states? The emperor has no clothes and all you need to do is spend one hour and watch "GASLAND" on HBO to know this. Stop wasting taxpayer dollars. The lawmakers need to make "fracking" illegal and stop this insanity of putting technology and energy first no matter the costs to humanity and the environment.
For once let us look to other sources of energy like solar and wind which are renewable and do no harm to the land or people.
The moratorium on hydraulic drilling must be made into law permanently and on a federal level......
period.
By the way...Mr. Catell is also a member of the Association of Energy Engineers, National Petroleum Council (NPC) and the Society of Gas Lighting (SOGL
Mr. Catell is a past Chairman of the American Gas Association, the U.S. Energy Association (USEA). He is a Vice-Chairman of the National Petroleum Council's Natural Gas Committee and also a member of its' Finance Committee. So, no bias there...right?
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/opinion-don-t-reject-hydraulic-fracturing-out-of-hand-1.2153920
Friday, June 11, 2010
NEW DRAFT SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR NEW YORK STATE:
BEYOND WASTE...THE NEW PLAN
Aggressive in Spirit…Limited by Funding
A new Draft Proposal Solid Waste Management Plan for New York titled; Beyond Waste: A Sustainable Materials Management Strategy for New York, along with a supporting Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) was outlined by representatives of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Solid and Hazardous Materials, at a June 7th meeting held at Stony Brook University.
The overall Plan intends to help minimize waste, increase the number of materials that can be used or recycled, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the number of “green” jobs.
The strategy involves shifting from an “end of pipe” focus to reducing waste from the very start. To implement this task, according to the Plan, everyone must work together in a coordinated effort between municipalities, businesses and individuals. The goal is to result in decreased reliance on waste disposal facilities in the future.
Calling the Plan “aspirational”, but “…clearly philosophically unsound…”David Tonjes, an Assistant Professor at Stony Brook, affiliated with the Waste Reduction Management Institute, spoke during the comment period of the meeting stating that in his opinion “…this is a bad plan and an unacceptable environmental impact statement.”
Through increased recycling, composting and new preventative measures such as using less product packaging and maximizing re-use, according to NY State DEC Commissioner Peter Grannis
the DEC expects the Plan to reduce waste by 15% every two years from 14 million tons (2008) to the projection of 2 million tons in 2018.
According to Mr. Tonjes:
Composting, which reduces waste disposal, is strongly supported in the Plan although it requires energy use to be accomplished and causes net releases of greenhouse gases…The Plan emphasizes a need to reduce waste, because the process that led to the piece of waste causes much more pollution than managing waste does. Eliminate waste and the chain of environmental harm is broken. This logic is crooked. It is like saying we can improve public health by regulating cemeteries. We cannot change the American consumer culture nor alter fundamentals of use by banning landfills.
The DEC is making an attempt to adapt to a growing pressure to reduce demand for energy, dependence on disposal, minimize emissions of greenhouse gases and create jobs, according to the Plan. To that end they will attempt to coordinate all levels of the production and supply chain, including; product manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consumers and government.
PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP: INFLUENCE OF DESIGN
One method of accomplishing the goal of less waste is to promote “product stewardship”, according to Resa Dimino, special assistant in the DEC’s policy office, who presented the Draft Plan at the Stony Brook meeting. “This is where the manufacturer takes responsibility for the recycling of that product and its' packaging. This would be similar to the new Electronics Disposal Law recently signed by Governor David A. Patterson, which takes effect in April of 2011.” The law requires all manufacturers that sell electronics in New York State to have a cost free and clean method of recycling electronic waste set up for consumers" according to Ms. Dimino and it also makes it illegal for anyone to dispose of electronic waste in landfills after January, 2015.
Ms. Dimino said according to the Plan, the DEC would hope to institute similar programs for household hazardous waste i.e. pharmaceuticals, paint, mercury in thermometers, thermostats and other potentially toxic household items.
The focus of the DEC, according to Ms. Dimino is to set new goals and to accomplish these goals there is a need to acquire a “new revenue stream”, something she admitted was a real concern, considering the economic situation New York and the nation currently finds itself in.
Increased DEC enforcement authority and a potential “pay as you throw” program were two ideas Ms. Dimino mentioned to help finance the new goals, admitting these would require legislative involvement.
The programmatic recommendations according to Ms. Dimino are that the State must lead by example, combat climate change, focus on public education, outreach and technical assistance and develop a comprehensive materials management planning system. There must be better inter-agency communication and there is a real need to build a market for re-cycled glass.
The Plan though aggressive and well intentioned is based on full financial backing and an ability to realistically implement. This is something everyone at the meeting seemed to agree was the crux of the problem with the Plan. David Blackman, Head of the DEC Solid Waste Management Plan, representing 350 municipal and private solid waste management facilities, said at the meeting, “A comprehensive assessment needs to be performed to determine the Environmental Impact and cost. There is a need for funding sources. We believe the proposed surcharge on Solid Waste “tipping fees” are taxed to the max and no more burdens can be added. If we must add a fee it should only be to those who are not already recycling.”
Professor Tonjes said that “according to section 617.9 (b) (5) (v) of the SEQRA regulations an Environmental Impact Statement must address reasonable alternatives…The language of this regulation also seems to require a need to show the preferred alternative is feasible, considering the objectives and capabilities of the project sponsor. I see no evidence that the Plan has been shown to be possible to implement.”
http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/41831.html.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY TO CONGRESSMAN BISHOP: GRUMMAN WORKERS WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF BENEFITS
"...it is unlikely that Northrop-Grumman informed it's employees about EEOICPA."
Glenn Podonsky, DOE
In a recent article published by Freelance Investigations, it was reported that on March 24, 2010 a letter was sent from Congressman Timothy Bishop to the Department of Labor on behalf of one of his constituents; Dr. Carmine Vasile.
Dr. Vasile had expressed outrage and concern that his former employer, Northrop-Grumman, a sub-contractor of the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), never notified him and other employees that they were eligible for medical and financial benefits under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA).
In a response letter to Congressman Bishop from Glenn S. Podonsky, Chief Health, Safety and Security Officer for the Office of Health, Safety and Security, Dated June 4, 2010 Mr. Podonsky stated:
“On May 24, 2010, BNL informed us that in the past 18 years BNL has done very little business with Northrop-Grumman; perhaps only three relatively small contracts. Therefore it is unlikely that Northrop-Grumman informed it’s employees about EEOICPA.”
A simple Google search using Northrop-Grumman/BNL DOE Contracts ----however, yielded many projects between the two facilities.
For example:
BNL-72167-2004-CP
Successful Partnership Between Brookhaven
National Laboratory and Northrop Grumman
Corp. for Construction of RHIC
Superconducting Magnets+
Doug Fisher*, Mike Anerella, and Peter Wanderer
And also:
by EB Accelerators
BNL. Most recently, AES was the only US company to manufacture a 5-cell, 700 MHz ... The clean room will see its first use in support of a DOE contract to design , fabricate, ... Northrop Grumman Corp., and state-of–the-art space-based ...
epaper.kek.jp/p01/EXHIBIT/AESINFO.PDF
And also:
by T Surek - 2001 - Related articles
DOE/GO-102001-1198. FY 2000 Photovoltaic Energy Program Contract Summary ...... project with Dr. Godfrey Augustine of the Northrop Grumman Science and Technology ...... Approach/Background: The BNL Center conducts the following types of ...
And…
Design of a harmonic generation FEL experiment at BNL - ElsevierThe harmonic generation experiment is proposed for the BNL accelerator test facility (ATF) ..... This work is performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract number DE-AC02-76-CH0016 and the Grumman Corp. ...
linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/0168-9002(92)91052-B
In fact there were 11,000 responses in .028 seconds for the Google search Grumman/BNL D.O.E. Contracts.
Today, Freelance Investigations asked Peter Genzer, the media spokesperson for Brookhaven National Laboratory why BNL wrote to the Department of Energy that they could only identify 3 small contracts with Grumman. Mr. Genzer had not seen the Bishop letter so it was E-Mailed to him and he sent this reply:
Peter Genzer/Media Liason for BNL
Brookhaven National Laboratory's retention policy is to keep subcontractor procurement records for a maximum of six-and-a-half years after completion before they are destroyed. According to our contracts and procurement staff, our existing records only show a handful of small contracts (none over $1,200) with Northrop Grumman. These date back to 2004, and were for analysis of biodiesel, oil, and sulphur samples. We no longer have records of contracts that may have existed prior to the early 2000s.
Peter Genzer/Media Liason for BNL
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
NEW BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY WORKERS' SCREENING FACILITY PLANNED AT QUEENS COLLEGE
The NSSP Screening Facility proposed by DOE for BNL was denied approval by Stony Brook years ago. No one will say why.
The Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for the National Supplemental Screening Program (NSSP) which provides worker population medical screenings for those men and women exposed to environmental hazards in the course of their employment for the DOE or their contractors and subcontractors.
Dr. Steven Markowitz works at Queens College running the Center for the Biology of Natural Systems and manages a group of these sites across the country. According to him his sites all follow the national protocol for testing and people can use the results for any purpose including applying for benefits under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA).
This act provides for free medical screenings and financial compensation for medical maladies linked to exposure and for deaths related to employee exposure on the job site to hazardous chemicals, radiation, Beryllium and other toxins.
Several years ago the DOE submitted an application to Stony Brook University, which manages Brookhaven National Laboratories (BNL) to set up a screening center at Queens College to be funded entirely by the DOE. This would have allowed any and all employees of BNL to go to Queens College and get free hands on examinations and testing including the BLpt test for Beryllium exposure, x-rays, medical and occupational examinations, breathing tests, general blood chemistry, urinalysis and other tests, according to Dr. Markowitz.
Dr. Markowitz runs similar programs in Paducah, Kentucky, Portsmouth, Oregon and seven other sites and all have been approved using the exact same protocols as the Queens College application submitted a few years ago to Stony Brook.
But the Institutional Review Board at Stony Brook said no, and denied the application. In January 2010 the DOE formed a new IRB of 10-20 people including scientists and workers' reps etc. and Dr. Markowitz has resubmitted the original application Stony Brook declined to approve- to them. Dr. Markowitz says he expects it to pass easily and hopes to have the program under way in a few weeks.
Last week Freelance Investigations called Stony Brook and spoke to Lauren Sheprow in the office of media relations. I asked her why Stony Brook denied the application several years ago. She said she did not know what the NSSP Program was and would I please put my questions in writing and send them in an E-Mail. This was the E-Mail that was sent:
Lauren:
First a little background since you seemed to have little or no information regarding this issue when I first called. I hope this helps to narrow things down for you. I have asked Dr. Markowitz for the numbers you requested, but just got his machine and am still waiting for his call back. In the meantime, maybe this will help.
I have been told that a few years ago the DOE put in an application to the Stony Brook IRB for a DOE fully funded NSSP Screening Facility for BNL workers to be set up on site at Queens College for the purpose of testing for medical problems experienced by the men and women who were exposed to Beryllium, Radiation, and other chemical toxins while working at BNL which is a DOE Facility. DOE workers, their contractors or subcontractors are covered under the EEOICPA and Beryllium and Radiation exposure are handled specifically by NIOSH. When you go to the NSSP website it says that workers from various DOE contaminated sites are handled at other facilities across the country. All are handled through Queens College by Dr. Steven Markowitz of the Center for the Biology of Natural Systems. Dr. Markowitz told me that a few years ago that he submitted the application for a DOE funded NSSP (National Supplemental Screening Program) test site at Queens College for BNL workers and submitted the application to Stony Brook and their Institutional Review Board (IRB). This application contained the exact same protocols that were and continue to be in effect in seven other NSSP testing sites across the country. These protocols include but are not limited to:
(All Free) Hands on medical and occupational hazards examinations
X-Rays
Breathing Test
Breathing Test
BLpt tests for Beryllium exposure
General blood chemistry and urinalysis tests
General blood chemistry and urinalysis tests
According to Dr. Markowitz, Stony Brook IRB denied the DOE application and the site was never opened.
Dr. Markowitz declined to comment on why the application was denied by Stony Brook except to say he thought the IRB's principal issue back then was "confidential and personally identifiable information".
In January 2010 the DOE formed a new IRB of 10-20 people including scientists and workers' reps etc. and Dr. Markowitz has resubmitted the original application Stony Brook declined to approve- to them. Dr. Markowitz says he expects it to pass easily and hopes to have the program under way in a few weeks.
QUESTIONS:
Who specifically was on the committee that denied the original application...when did this actually occur (if at all) and why was the application denied...(if it was)?
Does Stony Brook have any comment about the DOE's need to make an end run around their IRB denial to develop a new DOE IRB to establish the center to get help for the BNL workers? Will they cooperate in the new project if and when it is up and running at Queens College? Will they encourage BNL current and former employees to go to the center for free screenings? If so, if and how will they handle notification to current and former BNL workers?
Where do you refer exposed BNL workers to now for screenings?
Are any of the members of the IRB in contact with Dr. Markowitz directly regarding this issue? If so who, when and what was the upshot of the interaction?
If they did deny approval of the application for the free screening site, do the members of the Stony Brook IRB have anything to say to the sick workers, who missed getting screened on time or the families of those gone already from diseases related to their exposure as to why Stony Brook said no to the Queens College NSSP Medical Testing Center application years ago?
Thank you for your very valuable time...
Colleen CallanFreelance Investigative Reporter and Producer
The REPLY:
In response to your inquiry, the IRB's role is to review proposals involving human subjects according to criteria specified by federal regulation. If the criteria are not met, the proposal may not be approved.
I hope this helps.
Best,
Lauren
Lauren M. Sheprow
Office of Media Relations
Stony Brook University
631-632-4965 / 631-444-7880
To which I replied:Lauren:
I already knew what the IRB's role is. That was never one of my questions. You are not answering any of the questions I did ask and you are answering ones I didn't ask. Interesting.
I wanted to know specifically, why this Queen's College proposal did not meet Stony Brooks' criteria.
Since according to Dr. Markowitz, it was exactly the same as seven other Federally approved sites...what specifically made Stony Brook say no?
That's really what I asked and still need to know and you are not willing to answer.
You are obviously ducking all the questions from the E-Mail you insisted I send you.
I will give you one more opportunity to answer them. If not...they will be put into the article exactly as written and your exact responses along with them. 3 PM Deadline.
Colleen
Dr. Markowitz originally said in a recent interview, to the best of his recollection Stony Brook did not approve the initial proposal based on “confidential and personally identifiable information”.
At the time, when asked to explain the statement he could not say what it meant.
When pressed today regarding the real reason Stony Brook said "No"- Dr. Markowitz admitted he knew the real reason, had it in his files, but would not reveal the answer, despite agreeing several weeks ago to look for the information and to release it when he found it.
Why are both Stony Brook and Dr. Markowitz not willing to answer the simple question of why Stony Brook denied the application a few years ago? What’s the big secret here?
Why the change of heart by Dr. Markowitz regarding the answer? No one will even give the exact year of the denial, even though they obviously know the answer to at least that question. Why?
I called Lauren Sheprow again and asked her if she intended to actually answer any of the written questions she requested and she said the E-Mail answer was the "on the record response" and the only answers she and Stony Brook intended to give. I asked her to at least tell me where Stony Brook currently refers BNL workers to now for screenings? She declined to answer.
Dr. Markowitz said today he hopes to have the Queens College program up and running in the very near future.
To Contact Dr. Markowitz regarding the program call:
718 670-4184
To Contact Lauren Sheprow to see if she will give you an answer to why Stony Brook said No to the NSSP Screening Program for BNL workers at Queens College several years ago call:
Monday, May 17, 2010
WERE THOUSANDS OF WORLD TRADE CENTER RESPONDERS MISDIAGNOSED?
IS SARCOIDOSIS DIAGNOSIS REALLY CHRONIC BERYLLIUM DISEASE?
According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) anyone who has been diagnosed with Sarcoidosis who had ever been exposed to Beryllium is automatically presumed to have Chronic Beryllium Disease.
On September 4, 2008, DEEOIC issued Circular No. 08-07 which states:
The American Lung Association's Website's "List of Lung Diseases" does not have any information or listing for Chronic Beryllium Disease.
The fires at The World Trade Center should never have been fought with water and everyone who breathed in the vapor, dust and smoke that day and for months to follow were potentially exposed to toxic Beryllium and could be in danger of getting the fatal disease. Even regular airplane fires should not be fought with water.
THE PREMATURE DEATH OF HEROES
Beryllium is used for the airline seats, luggage, clothing, golf clubs, cell phones, computers, landing gear, radar, brakes, the shell of the body of the plane, the turbine blades of the jet engines, electronics and also in the jet fuel and engine oil. When Beryllium burns and water is poured onto the fire, it creates a toxic brew of dust, particles and Beryllium vapor that even when inhaled in small amounts can be deadly toxic.
Beryllium production in the United States will continue unimpeded however. Thanks to the need by the Department of Defense for the military and aerospace applications, a brand new facility was scheduled to open in Elmore, Ohio last month.
Sean Riordan, the attorney for the Fealgood Foundation declined to answer when asked if the first responders may have been misdiagnosed with Sarcoidosis noting he does not have medical credentials. He did say "I really want the bottom line truth and if Beryllium is the cause, then we should treat them for what it is. I want all the elements investigated and if it is Beryllium exposure then lets find out and not treat them for Sarcoidosis if that is not the cause."
Thousands of firemen, policemen and other first responders who worked on “the pile” or "the pit" at the World Trade Center after 9/11 even for short amounts of time were potentially exposed to toxic levels of Beryllium which could result in a fatal disease known as Chronic Beryllium Disease.
Hundreds of World Trade Center responders have been diagnosed with Sarcoidosis disease, according to John Feal the founder and president of the non-profit Fealgood Foundation, an organization dedicated to the health and well being of 9/11 first responders.
According to The American Lung Association:
According to The American Lung Association:
Sarcoidosis is a disease caused by small areas of inflammation. It can affect any part of the body but is most common in the lungs—called pulmonary sarcoidosis. In pulmonary sarcoidosis, small patches of inflamed cells can appear on the lungs' small air sacs (alveoli), breathing tubes (bronchioles) or lymph nodes. The lungs can become stiff and may not be able to hold as much air as healthy lungs. In serious cases, sarcoidosis can cause scar tissue in the lungs, which can affect the lungs' ability to move oxygen into the bloodstream.
No one knows what causes sarcoidosis. The good news is that is it usually temporary. In half the cases, sarcoidosis heals naturally—without any treatment. In serious cases, healthcare providers may treat a patient's symptoms to help improve how well the lungs and other organs are working.
A diagnosis of sarcoidosis is not medically appropriate if there is a documented history of Beryllium exposure. Rather, in these situations, the claims examiner is to consider the diagnosis of Sarcoidosis to be a diagnosis of Chronic Beryllium Disease.
(EEOICPA OmbudsmenReport to Congress 2008)
The American Lung Association's Website's "List of Lung Diseases" does not have any information or listing for Chronic Beryllium Disease.
Beryllium is the most toxic metal known to man.
Beryllium was in the American Airlines-Boeing made planes that were flown into the buildings that day. When the firemen added water to the pit, a deadly toxic vapor was created that can cause Chronic Beryllium Disease. The disease can take many years to present its’ symptoms, lying dormant sometimes for decades, but when it does present, it can be deadly as the scar tissue shuts down the lungs and there is no cure.
THE PREMATURE DEATH OF HEROES
According to John Feal who spoke with Freelance Investigations today, there is no question that Beryllium was in the pit. "Everyone knows that Beryllium was there. I've got eight and a half years of 9/11 "U" behind me and I consider myself intelligent enough to know that this has led to the premature death of heroes who risked their lives without prejudice a few years ago." Mr. Feal spoke of the "toxic soup" in the pit: "I believe the Beryllium added with all the other toxins like the Jet Fuel, Benzene, Mercury, pulverized cement and other contaminants all led to a toxic soup that we inhaled. No one can deny that these toxins have caused serious injury and death. When mixed all together, no one can say what the exposure could do."
In a video on the Fealgood Foundation website, John Fealgood said "The government has let us down... If we have money to kill we should have money to save lives."
Mr. Feal has a vested interest in the issues of 9/11 first responders and works tirelessly on their behalf.
On September 17, 2001 8,000 lbs. of steel fell on Mr. Feal's foot while he was working at the pit causing him to spend 10-11 weeks in the hospital with gangrene and sepsis. Eventually he underwent dozens of surgeries. Despite his own physical issues- on August 14, 2007 John Feal donated a kidney to a perfect stranger. Mr. Feal said he did it "To show America that people that basically have nothing can still help others. People who have seen the bottom can rise to the top and continue to help others."
HOW MUCH BERYLLIUM WAS IN “THE PIT”AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER?
In a video on the Fealgood Foundation website, John Fealgood said "The government has let us down... If we have money to kill we should have money to save lives."
Mr. Feal has a vested interest in the issues of 9/11 first responders and works tirelessly on their behalf.
On September 17, 2001 8,000 lbs. of steel fell on Mr. Feal's foot while he was working at the pit causing him to spend 10-11 weeks in the hospital with gangrene and sepsis. Eventually he underwent dozens of surgeries. Despite his own physical issues- on August 14, 2007 John Feal donated a kidney to a perfect stranger. Mr. Feal said he did it "To show America that people that basically have nothing can still help others. People who have seen the bottom can rise to the top and continue to help others."
HOW MUCH BERYLLIUM WAS IN “THE PIT”AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER?
It is difficult to ascertain the amount of Beryllium that was contained in the pit at the World Trade Center. Mr. Feal said this issue of Beryllium at the site needs to be investigated further, "Because this is human life we are talking about right now."
Calls to Boeing by Freelance Investigations to determine the total amount of Beryllium contained in both the plane and the jet fuel were never returned.
Calls to Boeing by Freelance Investigations to determine the total amount of Beryllium contained in both the plane and the jet fuel were never returned.
The media representative for American Airlines who refused to give their name gave this quote when asked how much Beryllium was in the 757 and 767 planes that flew into the towers and ended up in the pit: " We don't respond to 9/11 requests for information."
Beryllium is used for the airline seats, luggage, clothing, golf clubs, cell phones, computers, landing gear, radar, brakes, the shell of the body of the plane, the turbine blades of the jet engines, electronics and also in the jet fuel and engine oil. When Beryllium burns and water is poured onto the fire, it creates a toxic brew of dust, particles and Beryllium vapor that even when inhaled in small amounts can be deadly toxic.
Pictures of the firemen fighting the fire at the Pentagon, show they were all wearing protective SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) and Haz-Mat suits while fighting the fire. Perhaps this was because the military has known for decades that you do not pour water on a Beryllium Fire and you wear proper equipment when fighting one.
According to a study published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, a seven year study with members of the New York City Fire Department; rescuers who had significant declines in lung function a year after the attack had still not recovered, and the recorded drop in lung function was about 12 times the rate seen in normal aging. Since Sarcoidosis usually can heal and Chronic Beryllium Disease gets worse, why aren't World Trade Center responders and clean up crews being tested for Chronic Beryllium Disease?
Since Beryllium is now being used in so many non-military or civilian applications shouldn’t all fires be treated as if the possibility of Beryllium is being burned and shouldn't all firefighters have the proper equipment (SCBA gear and Haz-Mat suits) to keep themselves safe from toxic Beryllium vapors?
According to the National Jewish Health Reference Laboratories (NJHCRL) it can sometimes be difficult to diagnose Chronic Beryllium Disease (CBD). A normal blood test result (where all values are equal or below the cutoff value of 2.5 in response to antigens) still does not exclude the diagnosis of Chronic Beryllium Disease. They recommend a Beryllium lymphocyte transformation test using bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytes. Other doctors interviewed said that a tissue sample from the lung is the only real definitive test for Chronic Beryllium Disease. Exposure to even a small amount of Beryllium in a vapor dust or particle form can be deadly toxic depending on the individual, according to the National Jewish Health website.
When misdiagnosed as Sarcoidosis and treated for that disease in error, irreparable harm can be done if the person really has Chronic Beryllium Disease.
Freelance Investigations spoke to the law clerk in the chambers of Judge Alvin Hellerstein to ask if any of the attorneys or doctors trying to hash out a settlement had ever considered beryllium exposure to explain many unexplained symptoms that the workers have exhibited. The law clerk declined to comment. No one at the WTC site has been tested for the disease even though the symptoms match some of the sick workers.
Chronic Beryllium Disease and Beryllium Sensitivity Disease symptoms include but are not limited to: rashes, dermatitis, conjunctivitis and eye ulcers, enlarged heart, kidney problems and chronic sinusitis. If Beryllium in dust, vapor or particle form is introduced through the skin by a cut or puncture, non-healing ulcers may develop with target organs being; lungs, mucous membranes eyes and skin .( Genium Publishing Corporation-Beryllium Metal/Powder)
Beryllium production was halted by Brush Wellman, the nation’s largest producer of Beryllium, in 2000 primarily due to economic and occupational and health reasons according to William Greenwalt, the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Industrial Policy) for the United States.
Beryllium use in Europe is strictly limited and regulated by CERN, their nuclear regulatory agency which was already limiting future use and production for safety and health reasons as far back as 1985.
In testimony before the U.S.- China Economic and Security Review Commission regarding China’s Proliferation and the Impact of Trade Policy on Defense Industries in the United States and China dated July 13, 2007, Greenwalt noted:
When absolutely necessary, the Department of Defense can intervene directly in the marketplace to create or expand domestic production capabilities as necessary to meet military requirements. The department is doing so now to ensure it will continue to have access to high purity Beryllium metal. Because of its’ unique properties (including high stiffness and strength to weight ratios, thermal conductivity and reflectivity to infrared wavelength) high purity Beryllium metal and its primary high Beryllium content alloy (Aluminum-Beryllium metal matrix composite or AlBeMet) have wide ranging defense applications including in sensors, structures and components in missiles, satellites, fighter and rotary aircraft and nuclear weapons. Brush Wellman is the only Beryllium metal producer worldwide that can meet the Beryllium quality requirements of the highest purity defense and essential civilian applications. However, Brush Wellman mothballed its 40 year-old primary Beryllium metal production facility in October 2000 for economic and occupational health reasons. Since then, Brush Wellman has relied on Beryllium cast ingot from the inventories of the National Defense Stockpile at the Defense Logistics Agency for the highest purity Beryllium material applications; and on less pure Beryllium metal acquired from Kazakhstan for production of AlBeMet. To rectify this situation, the Department initiated a Defense Production Act Title III project jointly funded with Brush Wellman the design and construction of a new Beryllium metal production facility, scheduled for completion in 2010.
People who worked at Department of Energy facilities from the 1940’s to the present who were exposed to Beryllium, like Brookhaven National Laboratory and the former Hicksville-Sylvania Corning Plant are eligible for free medical care, testing and possible compensation (up to $400 thousand dollars per person) under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. (EEOICPA)
DOE EMPLOYEES COVERED: DOD EMPLOYEES ARE NOT...WHY NOT?
One big problem is that a person who stood next to the DOE employee at the same job, who was actually a Department of Defense worker, that person is not covered by the EEOICPA. Why does the same level of toxic exposure have different levels of help for American workers? Why are DOE workers covered for toxic exposure to Beryllium and not DOD workers at the same spot doing the same job? One answer might be the astronomical costs associated with covering everyone. So far the EEOICPA has paid out over 5.5 Billion dollars to EEOICPA claimants since 2001 when the law was enacted by President Clinton, that despite that fact that the Department of Labor has done a limited job of notification to DOE employees. The Department of Labor claims they notified the employers and depended upon them to provide lists of employees to notify of benefits available to those exposed. Many companies refused to supply the lists and to this day thousands of workers who could and should receive medical testing and care don’t have any idea it is available for them.
Sean Riordan, the attorney for the Fealgood Foundation declined to answer when asked if the first responders may have been misdiagnosed with Sarcoidosis noting he does not have medical credentials. He did say "I really want the bottom line truth and if Beryllium is the cause, then we should treat them for what it is. I want all the elements investigated and if it is Beryllium exposure then lets find out and not treat them for Sarcoidosis if that is not the cause."
If the World Trade Center first responders were exposed to Beryllium then shouldn't they be eligible under NIOSH for free screenings and medical treatment? If the World Trade Center is considered a Department of Energy Facility or a subcontractor of a DOE Facility, then wouldn't any and all first responders fall under this federal financial umbrella? This remains to be seen.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
UNION BOSSES TO BNL: WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED
UNIONS LEADERS CHARGE BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY FAILED TO NOTIFY EMPLOYEES OF BENEFITS AVAILABLE
CONGRESSMAN BISHOP WRITES TO DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL) REGARDING GRUMMAN EMPLOYEE EXPOSURE TO TOXIC BERYLLIUM
Union leaders at Brookhaven National Laboratory claim they were not notified of benefits BNL knew were available to their members since 2000; including free medical screenings, free lifetime medical care and potential monetary compensation for them and their family members if they have become ill or are deceased from diseases caused by exposure to toxins while working at the lab.
Union representatives say Brookhaven National Laboratory officials even failed to cooperate once they became aware of the programs available.
“The cooperation from BNL is atrocious.” according to Mike O’Grady, President of IBEW Local 25- a former BNL worker.
After attending a meeting of the DOL (Department of Labor), NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) and the EEOICP (Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program) on March 3, in Ronkonkoma, which was set up to help workers file claims and get information about the new Special Exposure Cohort Class (SEC) for those exposed to radiation, beryllium and other toxins at BNL, O’Grady spoke to Freelance Investigations about Brookhaven National Laboratory and his opinion of the lab’s failure to inform or to help his members.
“I have only been in office for a year and a half and I first heard about the program two and a half to three years ago from a friend of mine who went for a screening was diagnosed with Leukemia. He passed away. He was a good friend and he pushed me until the day he died to get screened and I finally did.”
“I have only been in office for a year and a half and I first heard about the program two and a half to three years ago from a friend of mine who went for a screening was diagnosed with Leukemia. He passed away. He was a good friend and he pushed me until the day he died to get screened and I finally did.”
GRUMMAN: A NON-UNION SHOP ALSO NOT NOTIFIED
In a letter from Congressman Tim Bishop (1st District New York) to Brian Kennedy, Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs; Department of Labor (DOL) dated March 24, 2010 Congressman Bishop requests an investigation to be initiated by the DOL to answer charges that the Office of the Ombudsmen, had falsely claimed in a 2008 Report to Congress that they had notified all employees of their rights to apply for benefits. Employees involved were potentially exposed to toxic levels of beryllium and radiation while working at Grumman Aerospace and/or Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) from 1947 to the present.
Dr. Carmine Vasile, a Patchogue resident, is the reason Congressman Bishop wrote the letter. “Clinton ordered us to be notified…the Bush administration made sure we weren’t.” said Dr. Vasile, who is currently going through the application process. “Not one of several doctors I have seen so far has ever heard of Beryllium Disease." Yet according to a letter from the DOL claims examiner, Kimberley Bender, claimants are required to provide medical evidence of a specific disease.
Freelance Investigations spoke to Mike Volpe, press person for the Department of Labor, regarding Grumman and the issue of notification. Volpe said in an E-Mail that Grumman Aerospace in Bethpage is not an EEOICPA covered facility.
Volpe is incorrect according to Kimberley Bender. Grumman is an EEOICPA site for anyone who worked there; Bender noted in a March 15, letter to Dr. Vasile:
While Northrop Grumman Corporation is not listed as a covered facility under the EEOICPA, there is evidence that a subcontractor contract existed between Northrop Grumman Corporation and Brookhaven Laboratory.
This makes Northrop Grumman employees as well as BNL workers members of the Special Exposure Cohort Class (SEC) designated on January 9, 2010 for those who worked at DOE facilities from 1947-1979. For these employees it is assumed they have been exposed to beryllium and radiation and other toxins, but because documents are scarce, secret or have been destroyed, they are part of the SEC class. This does not mean that any one who worked at these as well as other DOE contractors and subcontractors from 1980 to the present are not covered. These employees are covered but they would be members of the EEOICPA in general, not the SEC, and can file a claim through the DOL or directly through the EEOICPA.
Dr. Vasile worked in Department of Energy facilities for the defense industry most of his career. In 1992 Dr. Vasile was Grumman Inventor of the Year. He worked on secret projects and not so secret projects at military and commercial properties all over the United States. Dr. Vasile was doing the job his country asked him to perform and he did it well. In the process, he and thousands of other men and women were exposed to various contaminants like Beryllium. At the time they were unaware of their deadly properties. Beryllium was used for many aircraft parts because of its strength, lightness and low sparking quality. (The F-22 had over 340 parts made from Beryllium) According to Dr. Vasile the men and women machining Beryllium were never told that Beryllium in dust, vapor or particle form is the most toxic metal known to man. Dr. Vasile claims he and other workers were never provided protective breathing apparatus and proper clothing to prevent toxic exposure.
If the dust, vapor or particle form of Beryllium enters the lungs it can cause Chronic Beryllium Disease, a fatal lung disease that may take decades to present symptoms and for which there is no cure; or Beryllium Sensitivity Disease, enlargement of the heart, cancers, rashes and other medical maladies.
In 2000, then President William J. Clinton signed an Executive Order to provide notification and compensation for the men and women who were unknowingly exposed to cancer and other disease causing toxins in the course of their work for the Department of Energy (formerly the Atomic Energy Commission), their contractors or subcontractors.
At Grumman Aerospace, now Northrop Grumman, thousands of former employees (or their relatives if the employees are already deceased) may apply for compensation through the Energy Employees Illness Occupational Compensation Program. (EEOICP).
Grumman was not a union shop so they could not depend upon union notification. According to John Vosilla, Manager for Communication for The Eastern Region of Northrop Grumman,
they were never notified by the Department of Labor in any way.
“This is the first I’ve heard of this.” Vosilla said. In a statement released this morning Vosilla added:
The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act was enacted to provide compensation and medical benefits to employees who worked at certain Department of Energy (DOE) facilities, including contractors and subcontractors at those locations, and certain of its vendors. It was to help people who worked on nuclear weapons and testing programs. As best as can be determined, we never worked on such programs. Nor did the DOE or the Department of Labor, again as best as we can determine, ever contact us about the Act.
Mr. Vosilla, does not appear to be aware that the program is not limited to those who worked on nuclear testing programs. It also includes those who worked with Beryllium, a major component of many of the airplanes' brakes, landing gear, radar systems and hundreds more parts made of beryllium used specifically in the aerospace industry that was and is Grumman. Military aircraft always use brakes and landing gear using pure Beryllium, other parts are also made from Beryllium alloys such as Beryllium Copper.
Jeff Bartels, a Lloyd Neck resident who worked at Grumman in tooling and production control from 1981 -1990 says he was never notified by Grumman or the Department of Labor that Beryllium was so toxic or that these EEOICPA benefits were available. Mr. Bartels went to almost every plant and building in the course of his job duties. “We would “kit a job” which meant walking a piece of metal through every phase of its’ production.”
"My department handled the tooling and manufacturing for the whole area at Grumman. The Navy would inspect the finished products on the property and some planes, like the E2C were delivered directly from Bethpage" Mr. Bartels said.
“Plant 3 was one of the biggest machining facilities on the property.” Mr. Bartels recalled. “There was no air conditioning at the time and so in the summer we’d open the bay doors and giant fans were placed all over the place. The mist from the cutting oil was blowing everywhere. Even worse was the winter, when the cloud of dust and smoke was so thick over the milling machines you could not see from one end of the building to the other. The only thing petitioned off was the paint shop and the chem milling shop.”
Mr. Bartels said he had developed a skin rash on his face and forehead while working at Plant 11, (off the main property) when he first started work for Grumman. Mr. Bartels said he was treated by Grumman doctors. “We were part of the “Grumman Family” and we were expected to go to the “Grumman family doctors” and we trusted them.”
Mr. Bartels plans on getting screened for his Beryllium exposure under the little known National Supplemental Screening Program (NSSP) now that he found out about the program. He claims he still experiences rashes.
“The Department of Labor claims that we were notified, is complete B.S. What scares me now is that I think back on all the exposure I had. I am losing sleep over it. I don’t know where to begin.”
Excerpt from the letter from Congressman Bishop to Kennedy:
Dear Mr. Kennedy,
“Mr. Vasile contacted our office regarding an issue pertaining to the Executive Order 13179 of December 7, 2000. My understanding is this order was to have employers notify current and past employees, who were exposed to beryllium and a number of other hazardous materials, of their right to apply for benefits through the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program. Mr. Vasile claims that his former employer Grumman Aircraft, currently known as Northrop- Grumman, never notified him of this program. He also claims that the Office of the Ombudsman Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program falsely claims that all employees were notified of their rights in their 2008 Annual Report.Congressman Bishop then requested the Department of Labor to investigate this matter on Dr. Vasile’s behalf and provide answers regarding the inquiry to both Vasile and his office.
The MCL (Maximum Contamination Level) for Beryllium is 4 ppb (parts per billion) compared to Lead which is 15 ppb. “ This shows easily how much more toxic Beryllium is than lead and yet they burn it in our incinerators, and power plants and they allow it in our drinking water” according to Dr. Vasile whose Ph.D is in Electrophysics.
STEAMFITTERS AT BNL WERE NEVER NOTIFIED
Dean said he found out about the program initially from the Building Trades Union about two years ago. They sent some pamphlets and posters to the Vice President’s Office because he handles all the insurance claims. He was shocked that no one from the Brookhaven National Laboratory in any official capacity had come to the NIOSH/DOL/EEOICPA meeting to answer any of the many questions his members and others who worked at the lab raised at the meeting.
One woman who attended the meeting whose husband has a stage four cancer said she was upset that BNL did not notify her husband back in 2000 when the EEOICPA was first established and BNL found out about it. “If he had been tested earlier, maybe they would have caught it before it had progressed to stage four. What about the money that we have laid out for testing and health care for all these years that could have been covered by the EEOICP?” The woman asked the question with frustration and tempered fury in her voice. The representative from the Department of Labor handling the presentation said although she sympathized with her plight, she could not answer for BNL.
Dean told Freelance Investigations that NIOSH asked him to attend a workshop April 20-21st in Cincinnati, Ohio, something he and Mike O'Grady both plan on going to. In the meantime Dean plans on putting the EEOICPA and SEC information in the union’s quarterly letter that reaches over 8,000 union members including retirees and apprentices.
According to O’Grady, three or four months ago, prior to the SEC designation in January, there were 350 members of various building trades unions screened and of those, 120 were diagnosed with an illness attributable to BNL. Less than half of those who start the application process for medical and financial compensation get through the process. “The process is involved and grueling and BNL makes it as hard as possible.” said O’Grady.
“Beryllium sensitivity is four times the national average at BNL.” according to O’Grady who added that in the 60’s they did not give out masks or educate the members about the dangers of exposure to beryllium, radiation and other contaminants at the lab.
Information about the program can be found in the union paper, “The Conduit” and there is an ombudsmen from NIOSH available for Part E of the Program, but O’Grady insists the process is still very frustrating. “First you have to get a free screening, done by the Building Trades (Medical Services of America) and that is only the start of the application process. Then you have to fill out forms with a person’s work history and that combined with the medical screening is the start of the process. There is such a high level of frustration that people often just give up.”
Dean agreed that BNL notification was very bad and after speaking with the NIOSH representatives at the meeting he also plans to take advantage of the offer of the Department of Labor to accept kits with information he can distribute to his members. Dean said there are already at least fifteen guys that want to know how to make claims for themselves and their relatives.
Peter Genzer, spokesperson for BNL responded when asked about the ways that BNL has notified past and current employees about the compensation program.
According to Mr. Genzer between 2000 and 2008 there were two notices and one article in The Bulletin, the lab’s internal weekly newspaper. On October 8, 2009, BNL mailed a letter to 5,000 employees and retirees (including union employees), explaining the EEOICPA. On March 23, 2010 there was an onsite town hall style meeting regarding the new SEC Class designation.
Mr. Genzer noted BNL does postings on it’s internal website, sent E-mails to employees about the March 3rd meeting in Ronkonkoma and this week a second letter is being sent “to 5,000 employees and retirees to explain the Special Exposure Cohort Class and how to apply for compensation.” The letter will include brochures and a fact sheet from the DOL about the EEOICPA Program, according to Mr. Genzer.
"I never got a letter", said Mike O'Grady. "It is my understanding that Brookhaven never reached out to the local unions and contractors and subcontractors who have worked on their site."
"I never got a letter", said Mike O'Grady. "It is my understanding that Brookhaven never reached out to the local unions and contractors and subcontractors who have worked on their site."
The Department of Labor spokesperson, Mike Volpe said they use social networking and Twitter as well as press releases on the DOL website to notify people and town hall meetings when new SEC's are created. When asked how many elderly DOE employees are going to the DOL’s Facebook or Twitter sites, Volpe could not say.
Mr. Volpe could also not say how much money the DOL has spent on media, advertising or notification since the program’s inception.
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