If anyone is interested in participating or volunteering for a program to determine the health of our Niagara County School Children, schools and neighborhoods you are encouraged to contact Niagaranet@aol.com.
If you're concerned about the health of your community and schools, this information will help. A Web link will be provided shortly directing you to this program and to a more complete description.
You can have your individual school administrator or PTA organization contact us to discuss this program for your school location or have us contact them! This project involves recognized experts from around the country offering to help right here in Niagara County (complete listing TBA.)
Dr. Rosalie Bertell, Ph.D., G.N.S.H., has offered to be the director of this project and just visited a number of Niagara County locations; including local schools to speak with administrators and parents, and to meet with medical and health professionals. Additional expertise is being called upon in the form of college and university administrators, professors, student interns, graduate students and retired health professionals.
There will be more posted about this project on Friday when additional information becomes available.
If you have school aged children and are concerned about the environmental health conditions around their school or your neighborhood and would like to find out more, please contact the above email address for a brochure and packet of information about this program.
Best regards,
Louis Ricciuti
Health For All Niagara County Schools Project--Is being coordinated by Dr. Rosalie Bertell, Ph.D., G.N.S.H., and being participated in by local physicians, professionals and residents alike.
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INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CONCERN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
19 October 2005 HEALTH FOR ALL NIAGARA COUNTY SCHOOLS project
Thank you for considering the benefits of a Health For All Niagara County Schools Survey for the children of YOUR School. We are certain that it would provide a valuable tool for your negotiations with local, regional and national government, as well as a long term help to students and faculty.
If a Health For All Survey delivers good news, it is comforting to parents and teachers, and it means that the pollution known to be in the ground is not yet in a bio-available state where it can negatively effect the students and teachers. It gives you a gift of time in order to develop a strategy for remediation. If the Health For All Survey proves to be negative, then you have convincing evidence that the school has taken positive action and shown the utmost care for the health and well being of students and faculty. It will also provide justification of your concern, and compelling evidence for immediate remediation or relocation of the school.
Health impact cannot be ascertained from engineering studies alone. It has been my experience that even when I had proof of the presence of radium, radon, radioactive lead and polonium in the environment and in the bodies of the children in the neighborhood (through urine analysis), and when I had additional proof of a health effect related to the level of pollution in the child, authorities would still not listen to my concerns. This was in Toronto, and the Public Health Department even refused to give each family a record of their testing on letterhead paper in case of future medical problems of a more serious nature.
Land fills are really a toxic chemical laboratory, and in the environment, with water and sun, the original chemicals will often dissociate and new chemical compounds will form. These new compounds are usually unknown and their toxicology has never been studied. If radioactive chemicals were deposited in the land fill, they too will enter into new compounds with different chemical and physical characteristics than they originally had. Studies of air, soil and surface water is for pre-specified chemicals, hence new compounds will not be detected. In such a situation, it is important to note that unfortunately the children and staff are your best biological monitors of the situation.
Health ForAll Niagara County Schools is a survey designed to identify the human organ system (respiratory, cardio-vascular, skin, immune, gastro-intestinal, etc) being most stressed by the school environment. This usually shows up clearly in a contrast study between schools. Preventive health measures can be taken immediately to avoid chronic diseases and cancers before they develop, while engineers try to find the culprit (new) chemical.
I hope we will have a chance to work together again in the future.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rosalie Bertell, Ph.D., GNSH,
L.Ricciuti, senior-researcher, J.Gold, assistant-coordinator, International Institute of Concern for Public Health, Ministry of Concern for Public Health, COC, IERO
-- Edited by NuclearLou at 07:49, 2005-10-25
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"Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all." Helen Keller
"...and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us..."
MIDDLEPORT - Pesticide manufacturer FMC Corp. expects to give the Royalton-Hartland School Board a list of all materials the company has used in its operations.
The board wants the information so it can call for testing for any toxic materials that could migrate underground from the FMC property to school buildings.
The School Superintendent said the district needs the information to press the government and to ensure the safety of students.
The School Board last week approved hiring Dr. Rosalie Bertell to interpret all test findings.
This is a very good idea and I for one am glad that something is happening. You guys keep up the good work! Another one died this weekend from Lewiston-Porter.
It's sad when money is more important than peoples lives. If the chemicals are safe at FMC then let's see the owners drink a glass of water from the overflow pipes that come off their property.
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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
Albert Einstein
SANDRA STEINGRABER TALK NOV 7th at Buffalo State 12-2
I missed Ms. Steingraber's presentation the last time she was in our area - those who attended said she was an excellent speaker. Having recently read her two books, and as a young mother, I cannot urge you enough to make time in your busy schedules to hear her speak.
After wanting desperately to avoid getting involved in the hard ugly truths about our region's industrial and toxic past (it was so much more appealing to deal with smart growht, habitat and stormwater runoff :)), Ms. Steingraber convinced me that these issues MUST be dealt with in order to protect the health and well being of our families and neighbors. Her reasoned, scientific look at what we do, and do not, know about contaminants in our environment makes a very compelling argument for the need for a stronger, precautionary approach to toxins in our environment.
How right you are Anon.! My friend Marion from IICPH in Toronto sent this along--Take a look at their Web site, Rosalie Bertell's info and that of Dr. Janette D. Sherman, MD.
"I think this is one of the best articles Suzanne Elston has written." Marion
Hunter the Hero
by: Suzanne Elston
We've lost another one. Taken by an enemy we cannot see, at least not face-to-face. This latest one was special in a way that many of us can only imagine. His name was Bob Hunter eco-warrior extraordinaire, fellow journalist and really nice guy.
In the week or two since Bob's death, there have been many stories about his life. About how he founded Greenpeace, changed how we view our relationship with the planet. He re-defined activism, became an important author and broadcaster. Despite all this, one of the things that I remember most about Bob is that he never felt that he had done enough.
Sometimes when I'd get frustrated that a particular issue wasnšt getting enough media attention, I'd call Bob and say, "Hunter, you need to write something about this!"
"You're right, you're right," he'd apologize. "I'll get on it right away." And he would. Maybe not as quickly as I would have liked, but when he did, he did it with such journalistic flair and passion that people listened.
Bob was an everyman. The Peter Gzowski of the eco-set. He was the guy next door; the man who analyzed the news in his housecoat on television, and made you laugh along with him at the stupidity of life, politicians and corporate power.
It doesnšt seem right somehow that the enemy he railed against for so much of his life should strip Bob of his life. And yet the World Health Organization estimates that at least 80 percent of all cancers are environmentally related, so it's a pretty safe bet that Bob's death from prostate cancer was connected, somehow, to the polluted world he fought so hard to clean up.
Bob wasn't the first one, nor will he be the last. Rachel Carson, author of the landmark book, "Silent Spring," and mother of the modern environmental movement, died of breast cancer. Bella Abzug, feminist, cancer activist and lady who liked to wear really big hats, was also taken by breast cancer. It was Bella who said, "The fact is that Mother Earth is sick, and it's up to each of us to get her well." I hear ya, Bella, but that's pretty hard to do when the front line troops are dropping from cancer.
We're tired. Wešre tired of losing Bob Hunters. Tired of hearing that, "Cancer can be beaten." We don't want to fight anymore; we want to end the war. We donšt want to defeat the enemy; but prevent the enemy from taking up arms in the first place. We have a pretty good handle on the major sources of the stuff that's turning our cells against us, mutating into ravaging internal hoards until, in the ultimate act of stupidity, they consume us and in the process kill themselves off.
That's a dumb enemy. Dumber still is that we continue to blame the victims of this disease for their own demise. When someone is diagnosed with cancer, we immediately look to their lifestyle choices to establish blame, as if they didn't have enough to worry about. Did they/do they smoke? Did they eat a lot of processed foods? Were they overweight? Did they work in the wrong factory, live on the wrong side of the effluent pipe? Did they breastfeed? Have children? Swim in the shallow end of the gene pool? As author Sandra Steingraber wrote after so many of her own family members contracted cancer, "Cancer did not run in my family. It ran in my environment."
Which brings me nicely to a group of women who are doing something about this whole cancer prevention thing. They are running to raise money, not for cancer treatment, but for the primary prevention of cancer. This isn't another cancer run, where people wear nice little pink ribbons and drug companies see millions of dollars being poured (again) into making more drugs to fight cancer. This run, "The Second Annual Run, Walk & Roll for Cancer Prevention", will put money toward finding out what's killing us in the first place. Given that less than 5 percent of cancer research dollars currently go to prevention, this run is an idea whose time has finally come. I think Hunter would have approved.
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Now, my note--How crazy is it for the American Cancer Society to hold the 'Relay for Life,' on the track behind school grounds where there is recorded radioactive measurements that are scientifically known to be disease causing? (8,000 CPM - 40,000 Gamma)-(See NAS, BEIRVII, EPA Reports, other) There is No Safe Exposure to Radiation, all science now says--but yet they have that event behind the school....?
-- Edited by NuclearLou at 13:36, 2005-10-26
__________________
"Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all." Helen Keller
"...and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us..."
How right you are Anon.! My friend Marion from IICPH in Toronto sent this along--Take a look at their Web site, Rosalie Bertell's info and that of Dr. Janette D. Sherman, MD.
How do you have "credability?" That's odd, you signed in anonymously. Maybe before this goes too far it should be moved to members only--or have both threads because of YOU?
I think he's been published in a few countries at lest on the web and was the reason why they found the radioactive stuff at lewiston at all. Because his articles talked about the ploutonium years ago in Buffalo Art voice magazine. He nows more then you!
That's right Anon. Should be all for only testing roofing tiles and sneakers. Much better science. Any negative post in this thread, considering the subject, is pretty creepy. Didn't you just recently run for an anonymous school board seat too? What sort of "results" would you be happiest with? None?
My standing grows with every one of these posts. Your's help to do this. Thank you.
-- Edited by NuclearLou at 13:52, 2005-10-27
__________________
"Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all." Helen Keller
"...and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us..."
Once again I thank the anonymous poster for pointing out the double entendre possibilities in the use of various languages. Auteur TheoryTHANK YOU for the compliment and may I light your cigar J,H,? -- Auteur is the French word for "author," but the word sounds a lot fancier if you put it ...www.selu.edu/kslu/auteurtheory.html
HOWEVER---DUE TO THE ANONYMOUSNATURE OF THE ABOVE POSTINGS---------------
THIS THREAD IN ITS ENTIRETY HAS BEEN MOVED to the Member Only area. Sign-in, don't sign-in--You can LEAVE messages at either if you sign-in. IF NOT, then leave important items here for discussion and surely they will be discussed over in the other thread as well. Items of potential interest will still be posted here. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONs< LEAVE them HERE on THIS Thread AND they WILL BE ANSWERED if at all possible or not TOO outrageous.
Sorry for any inconvenience.
-- Edited by NuclearLou at 14:54, 2005-10-27
__________________
"Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all." Helen Keller
"...and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us..."
I did read this topic, and I must agree with the anon that you did say on Scott's show that you are an Amateur Scientist. I see nothing wrong with that. At least you are willing to admit something about the basis of your opinion.
I want to let you know of a message and letter I sent to the School Board at Starpoint last June regarding the concerns with the sickness last December at the school. I will post this on the Members only page to continue the discussion.
Last June, I read a paper I received entitled, "What Starpoint is not telling you!" about a meeting you are scheduling. I was able to attend that meeting for a short time,
At the time, I sent a letter to the School Board and a copy of the letter to the Pendleton Town Supervisor Jim Riester, the Wheatfield Town Supervisor, and the School Board President at that time, Diane Braun.
BELOW IS THE LETTER FAXED TO SCHOOL BOARD 6/13/2005:
Dr. Doug Whalen, Superintendent
Starpoint Schools
Mapleton Road
Lockport, NY 14094
Dear Dr. Whalen:
RE: Evacuation of School last December
& Investigation performed
Last winter I told you how impressed I was with the way you handled the evacuation and investigation in December, but have not had the opportunity to address this issue at a school board meeting, so I decided to send this letter.
I want to start off by thanking you for the way you handled the emergency response last December when some students were ill in the auditorium. Given the unknowns at the time, and the information that you must have received about the incident, you seemed to react most appropriately, ensuring that the students safety was your first concern.
I found that your communication with the local news media was appropriate, and calling your office helped me to know when my daughter would be home that day.
I was impressed that such a thorough investigation was performed afterward and that when the results were determined, you communicated them in an honest, professional manner.
I personally have high regard for the company you had perform the investigation, Chopra-Lee based on past site investivations I hired them to perform on commercial service stations when I was an Engineering Consultant, and hazardous duty training I later received from them when I started my present job with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
I know the work that Chopra-Lee performs is very thorough, and based on their reputation I have the highest confidence in the results they attained.
I was concerned to hear that the Town Supervisor from Wheatfield hired a separate Engineering firm to review the work that Chopra-Lee had performed. Although I know the firm they hired, Golder Engineers, is also a very good Engineering firm, I question any doubts had with the work of that Chopra-Lee performed.
I certainly hope that the work Golder Engineers performed for the Town of Wheatfield did not hinder the work being performed for the Starpoint School district by Chopra Lee, or that it cost those of us who live in the Starpoint School district any more.
Please feel free to reply back if you have any questions or comments.