Seattle Press 11-21-01 & reply posted 9-9-03

 

The Seattle Press
 
  News Briefs

Exxon Damage Award Thrown Out While Cleanup Workers' Health Suffers

2001-11-21 16:23:48 -- A federal appeals court struck down the $5 billion punitive damage award against ExxonMobil for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, in which 11 million gallons of oil spilled into Prince William Sound. The award was decided by a jury verdict in 1994. This sets back the prospects for the 10,000 fishers, Alaskan Natives and others whose livelihood was, and continues to be, damaged by the spill. The court recommended that the district court which first heard the case reduce the award, likely to between $1.2 and $1.6 billion. Many fishing communities in Alaska continue to be affected; there has not been a commercial herring harvest since 1993. The decline in the Pacific herring population is likely linked to exposure to the oil, which makes the fish more susceptible to disease.

Meanwhile, the people who worked to clean up the oil are continuing to suffer worsening health conditions, which many attribute to working in the oil and solvents. There were approximately 15,000 people from all over the world who helped clean up the spill. Los Angeles legal investigator Erin Brockovich recently began to investigate the case of these workers, who suffer from problems ranging from nausea and nosebleeds to chronic headaches, liver and kidney problems and cancer. ExxonMobil claims that safety standards were followed in the cleanup.
 
 
I noticed your paper's 11/21/01article
My comment:

 

I knew someone who just found out the cause of his exhaustion about the time you wrote this article:   low red blood cell anemia.
 
I started studying this topic when EPA wouldn't tell me what was in the Inipol EAP 22 that this bioremediation worker used.  I can't tell you how much I learned.  It is on a website, though, www.valdezlink.com/hi.htm  and www.valdezlink.com/1989photos.htm  would be a good place to start. 
 
 

Yet I fear that the Dept of Defense has bought one of the worst chemicals of the oil spill cleanup:  Corexit which is 38% 2-butoxyethanol.  and which most likely has ethylene oxide which causes lungs to fill up with fluid.  Please warn the military to rid themselves of this Corexit 9527.  It's like having a land mine in your camp.


Never again let someone responsible for harm - be in control of how the 'cleanup goes' Let them pay the bills - fine - but not use it as a way to benefit financially from the experimental use of humans and the poor environment. 

 
The 1993 herring run?  It appears that they had no bladders;  so it was the 2-butoxyethanol that the grown fish swam thru that harmed 80% of the herring run.   That's my theory and it makes sense. 
 
Margaret Hursh
PO Box 233
Valdez, AK 99686

www.valdezlink.com/scenario.htm

 
If the Anchorage Daily News hasn't printed this letter, you may.
 
I believe the Exxon Valdez oil Spill cleanup workers
were the first "Gulf War Syndrome Victims"

But it wasn't the ship's fault!  Bring Back the Exxon Valdez!

This is a non posted web page - awaiting permission to post from Seattle Press

Margaret Hursh Nov 19, 2003 Valdez, Alaska rental management
   Our troops are being harmed by the same type of chemicals that harmed the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup workers. http://www.valdezlink.com/gws_still.htm

 Hoping the public will require the Legislature to ban 2-butoxyethanol and Diethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether http://www.valdezlink.com/adn11-18-03.htm

 http://www.valdezlink.com/generic.htm

 This is a lot bigger problem in our nation/world than you can possibly imagine. Request the military inventory all cleaner/degreaser products since 1989 that they are using. http://www.valdezlink.com/chad4.htm

 I firmly believe 'Gulf War Syndrome' is still going on. Troops have too much exposure to these chemicals as they clean their guns daily. That is too much exposure. Do they wear chemical retardant gloves & goggles? They should. http://www.valdezlink.com/how_to_contact.htm

 Please get involved.

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