Re: Health Troubles Persist for 9/11 Rescue Workers

[Guest guest]

why hasn't there been anything on tv about this? I have seen

nothing. it amazes me what is not shown on tv. even the reporters

have been bought off. used as a tool to make the public believe what

they want us to believe. I'm really discusted with it all. this is so

sad.

--- In , snk1955@...

wrote:

>

> * Health Troubles Persist for 9/11 Rescue Workers - USA Today,

June 26, 2006

>

> * PBA Blasts Hosp's 9/11 Health Monitoring - New York Post, June

25, 2006

>

> * Police Union Plans WTC Health Registry - Associated Press, June

25, 2006

>

> * Lawsuit Says Poisons Killed 57 at WTC Site - Daily News, June

23, 2006

>

> ========================================================

> Health Troubles Persist for 9/11 Rescue Workers

>

> By Armour

> USA Today

> June 26, 2006

>

> http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-06-25-911-health-usat_x.htm

>

> It was late in the night when Zadroga, sleeping beside his

> 4-year-old daughter, woke up to fetch her some milk. It was no easy

> errand: The former New York City police detective's lungs were so

> scarred that he needed supplemental oxygen to breathe.

>

> In 2001, after the attack on the World Trade Center, he'd donned a

> paper mask and toiled at Ground Zero on rescue and recovery

missions.

> Then he developed a cough and damaged lungs. Four years later, the

> 34-year-old was dying.

>

> Sometime in that January night, Zadroga fell to the bedroom floor.

At

> dawn, his father came into the room and found him, then gently woke

> the girl to tell her that Zadroga was dead. Her bottle was still in

> his hand. " I told her that her daddy has passed and she cried, 'No,

> no, he's just sleeping, he just got up to get me a bottle,' " says

> ph Zadroga, of Little Egg Harbor Township, N.J., who is now

> raising his granddaughter, Tyler Ann. Her mother died two years

> earlier.

>

> An autopsy done by a New Jersey coroner attributed ' death to

> dust from Ground Zero. He had never been a smoker and had no

previous

> respiratory problems. " No one should have to go through this, " his

> father says.

>

> Nearly five years after the terrorist attack, thousands of workers

who

> toiled at the World Trade Center site continue to experience health

> problems, according to doctors at Mount Sinai Center for

Occupational

> & Environmental Medicine in New York.

>

> Zadroga's death †" the first death linked by an autopsy to toxins

at

> the site †" has galvanized union leaders and politicians such as

Sen.

> Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., to call for more aid and

> investigation.

>

> Concern over ongoing ailments plaguing World Trade Center workers

is

> also leading to accusations that federal safety oversight at Ground

> Zero was lax †" a charge that federal officials vigorously deny.

> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials said in a statement

> issued to USA TODAY in May that they responded immediately as

events

> unfolded, with the highest priority being to protect the

environment

> and health of the people of New York.

>

> The agency took more than 10,000 samples of air, water and dust,

which

> yielded more than a quarter of a million results, and worked with

> other federal agencies to caution that workers should wear

protective

> gear. Officials acknowledge that some workers from the site now are

> ill.

>

> A class-action lawsuit has been filed alleging that the agency made

> false reassurances about the air quality at the site. No trial date

> has been set.

>

> " The EPA said there was no danger, but this was the perfect storm

of

> environmental toxins, and now we're paying the price, " says

> Cahill, an air pollution expert and professor emeritus at the

> University of California, , who studied the air quality around

> Ground Zero. " It was wildly toxic, and the EPA knew that.

Hopefully,

> this will lead to a renewed effort not to forget these people. "

>

> About 40,000 workers toiled at Ground Zero, including immigrant day

> laborers, contractors, volunteers from other towns, paramedics,

> firefighters and police officers. They carried out myriad tasks,

from

> digging through rubble in search of survivors to delivering ice and

> water. It's uncertain how many may now be sick.

>

> A medical screening and monitoring program coordinated by Mount

Sinai

> Center for Occupational & Environmental Medicine in New York

indicates

> that more than half need immediate medical or mental health

treatment.

> The estimate is based on a sample of the 16,000 workers screened to

> date. In fact, demand is so great that the waiting list for care

> through an independent treatment program offered by Mount Sinai is

16

> weeks. The study looks at those who worked at the site during or

> shortly after the disaster.

>

> Rare lung diseases emerge

>

> One concern now is the emergence in first responders of rare

> lung-scarring diseases that could be fatal, says Robin Herbert,

> director of the World Trade Center program at Mount Sinai. Another

> concern is the potential for an increased rate of cancer in coming

> years. Asthma, chronic sinusitis and mental health problems also

are

> common among those who were first on the scene.

>

> " It's tragic. Our work has identified large numbers of heavily

exposed

> workers who were never provided with appropriate respiratory

> protection, " Herbert says. " A more vigorous public health approach

> might have prevented illnesses we're seeing today. "

>

> Glenn Greene, a Department of Justice lawyer representing former

EPA

> administrator Whitman, declined to comment on allegations

> that safety precautions were lax, as did the DOJ's press

office. " From

> the moment the planes hit the World Trade Center, the men and

women of

> the (EPA) ... began to do everything in their power to protect the

> people of New York, " Whitman said in a February statement.

>

> The city of New York, which has also been criticized for its

handling

> of safety issues, said in a 2002 release from the law department

that

> it " did everything in its power to assist people " and

that " decisions

> were made with the best possible information available. "

>

> Vinny Forras just doesn't want his sacrifices to be forgotten. He

> believes more funding for treatment of first responders, as well as

> some sort of memorial for those who die after 9/11 of diseases

related

> to exposure, is vital.

>

> Forras, 48, was a volunteer firefighter at the South Salem (N.Y.)

Fire

> Department who was dispatched to the World Trade Center the day of

the

> attack. The first thing he saw was the firetruck that his best

friend

> had been riding in smashed by the debris from the collapsing

towers;

> his friend had been killed. Forras worked at the site night and

day.

>

> On his second day, he woke up at a triage center gasping for air;

he

> was given steroids by the medical staff, he said, and sent back to

> work. At one point, Forras was working on rescue and recovery when

he

> tried to climb down a beam; instead, he found himself buried

briefly

> under the rubble. For an hour and a half, he says, he remained

trapped

> underground.

>

> Three months later, his breathing problems began, he says. Forras,

who

> has never smoked, used to be able to run two or three miles a day.

> Now, he can get winded walking from the car to his home, he says.

>

> He uses steroids and inhalers to breathe, antidepressants to help

> combat post traumatic stress disorder and sleep medications. He

lives

> on disability payments from workers' compensation and Social

Security.

> " It's very hard to see your own kids taking care of you, " says

Forras,

> founder of the Gear Up Foundation, a non-profit that donates fire

> equipment, prevention and training around the world. " We humbly did

> what we did. It was our job. But in 10, 15 years, we'll be ghosts.

> We're the Ground Zero walking wounded. "

>

> And that has become a growing fear: that some first responders at

the

> scene could develop lung diseases and other ailments that will kill

> them †" adding to the attack's death total. Many responders, such

as

> volunteers from other cities, may not realize their health problems

> are related or get the assistance they need.

>

> One million tons of dust

>

> An estimated 1 million tons of dust rained down on the city and the

> 16-acre disaster zone, showering the area with asbestos, Freon,

> carcinogens, concrete, glass fibers, lead and other hazards.

Workers

> inhaled caustic fine cement dust and a mixture of sulfuric acid, a

> byproduct of combustion, which defeated the lungs' defense system

and

> allowed particles to become deeply embedded, Cahill says.

>

> Worby, a lawyer in White Plains, N.Y., represents about 8,000

> clients with health problems who are suing supervisors, the EPA,

the

> Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, contractors and others

> involved in the cleanup. He says more than 50 families have lost

loved

> ones due to their Twin Towers work. No trial dates have been set.

>

> " There are thousands of people who will get cancer and will die

from

> this, and the government isn't doing anything, " Worby says. " Every

> week I get one or two calls from a cop saying, 'What do I do for my

> wife and kids? I've just been diagnosed with leukemia or

sarcoidosis

> (an inflammation that creates scar tissue, often in the lungs).' "

>

> The Port Authority declined to comment on any pending litigation.

>

> There has been financial assistance, including a $125 million

federal

> package that will help fund a health registry of World Trade Center

> first responders and nearby residents. The money includes $75

million

> for screenings, exams and treatment for rescue and recovery

workers,

> as well as $50 million to the New York State Uninsured Employers

Fund

> for reimbursement of 9/11-related claims. But some, such as Mount

> Sinai's Herbert, say more will be needed, because even a few severe

> illnesses can run up staggering medical costs. An April study from

the

> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found more than half of

> survivors reported new or worsening respiratory symptoms after the

> attacks.

>

> EPA says it gave help

>

> EPA officials say in a statement that the agency " provided masks

and

> goggles for rescuers and crew workers. EPA also encouraged rescue

> workers to wet down the debris to help protect themselves from

> asbestos, smoke and dust. "

>

> The agency says it provided more than 22,000 respirators, more than

> 32,000 respirator cartridges and other protective gear and

emphasized

> the need for respiratory protection at daily operations meetings at

> the site.

>

> " As our nation continues its effort to keep Americans safe from

future

> attacks on our country, EPA remains passionately committed to

> protecting the health of our citizens and our environment, " the

agency

> said in a statement.

>

> But the EPA and other federal offices are coming under criticism

for

> their response.

>

> In an 82-page pretrial ruling in a class-action lawsuit filed by

> residents and workers in the area, U.S. District Court Judge

Deborah

> Batts said Whitman's " deliberate and misleading " statements about

the

> air quality " shocks the conscience. "

>

> She also said in her February opinion that the EPA knew as soon as

> Sept. 12, 2001 †" the day after the attack †" that one of the

first air

> samples contained an asbestos level four times higher than the EPA

> threshold for danger. The judge was ruling on motions to dismiss

> counts in the case; Batts agreed to let the lawsuit continue.

>

> Whitman responded with a release that said, " every action taken by

the

> EPA during the response to this horrific event was designed to

provide

> the most comprehensive protection and the most accurate

information to

> the residents of Manhattan. To imply otherwise is completely

> inaccurate. "

>

> ========================================================

> PBA Blasts Hosp's 9/11 Health Monitoring

>

> By Edelman and Carl Campanile

> New York Post

> June 25, 2006

>

> http://www.n

>

ypost.com/news/regionalnews/pba_blasts_hosps_9_11_health_monitoring_re

gionalnews_susan_edelman________and_carl_campanile.htm

>

> The nation's largest police union plans to launch its own medical

> registry to track cancers and other life-threatening diseases

hitting

> 9/11 responders, saying the federally funded World Trade Center

> medical monitoring program has kept them in the dark.

>

> " We need to find out what cancers and serious disorders are out

there

> so we know what to look for, " said Lynch, president of the

> Patrolmen's Benevolent Association. " Millions of dollars are being

> spent, and we're getting no information. "

>

> The PBA will soon post an online registry for cops who helped in

the

> 9/11 rescue and recovery to record their cancers, heart attacks,

> kidney failure and other illnesses, Lynch said.

>

> " We have deaths now. We can't wait for information that can save

other

> lives, " he said.

>

> The PBA's registry aims to include ill responders like ph

> Wittleder, 44, an NYPD emergency-service detective who rushed to

> Ground Zero on 9/11 and spent 12 to 14 hours a day for the next

five

> weeks digging in the toxic rubble.

>

> The father of two toddlers, a nonsmoker, was diagnosed with kidney

> failure in 2002. A transplant with a kidney from his wife, Michele,

> was postponed this year when he came down with a severe lung

disease.

>

> He can't sleep lying down because of breathing difficulty and

coughs

> up " bags of blood, " his wife said.

>

> " It's unbelievable that no one wants to acknowledge that guys are

> getting this sick from 9/11, " she said.

>

> Wittleder is set to get his first screening in the WTC program -

which

> is led by Mount Sinai Hospital - next week and join the nearly

16,000

> responders who have already done so, including 5,800 checked twice.

>

> One sick responder told The Post he tried unsuccessfully to log his

> cancer with the program.

>

> NYPD narcotics Detective Walcott, 41, was diagnosed with acute

> leukemia in 2003 - two months after the WTC program gave him a

clean

> bill of health, he said. When he called the program to report it,

he

> said, the people who answered the phone repeatedly told him, " We're

> not keeping any stats on that. "

>

> Dr. Robin Herbert, incoming chief investigator and coordinator of

the

> WTC monitoring, said the staff is instructed to record such

updates.

> But the program - which has gotten $68 million in federal funds -

> lacks data on cancers and other serious diseases, Herbert

> acknowledged. When a comprehensive health exam finds possible

> problems, like a growth, patients are referred to outside doctors

for

> further tests.

>

> The program asks patients to report back on their final diagnoses -

> but not all do, Herbert said. " I know we don't get all the

> information, " she said.

>

> Worby, a lawyer for 8,000 cops, firefighters and others in a

> class-action suit against the city, said cancer has struck 300,

> including 35 who died. Worby said the data is available to

> authorities, but so far none has asked for it.

>

> Meanwhile, some responders never signed up for a screening,

including

> Brooklyn NYPD Detective Marshall, 46, who worked at Ground

Zero

> three months and retired in 2002. The burly, 6-foot-6 smoker

suffered

> a massive heart attack in 2003 and was recently diagnosed with

throat

> and lymph-node cancer.

>

> His wife, Debbie, called the city's WTC Health Registry, but said

the

> interviewer merely told her a new questionnaire would be sent out.

>

> " They didn't seem to care. That blew me away, " she said.

>

> susan.edelman@...

>

> Copyright 2006 NYP Holdings, Inc.

>

> ========================================================

> Police Union Plans WTC Health Registry

> The Associated Press

> June 25, 2006

>

> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-

dyn/content/article/2006/06/25/AR200606250046

> 6_pf.html

>

> NEW YORK -- The nation's largest police union is considering

setting

> up a registry to track the health of officers who toiled amid the

> rubble of the World Trade Center following the terrorist attack, a

> spokesman said Sunday.

>

> Health and government officials are trying to track the health

effects

> of the dense smoke and dust on thousands of emergency workers,

> residents and others, and the Bush administration has appointed an

> official to oversee the federal response.

>

> But leaders of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association say they

cannot

> afford to wait for government registries to assess illnesses, such

as

> cancer and severe respiratory ailments, over periods of years.

>

> " We understand that science takes time, but these officers don't

have

> time, " said PBA spokesman Al O'Leary. " Some have already died, and

> those who are alive today need to know what kinds of symptoms they

> should be watching for. "

>

> In January, an autopsy concluded that the respiratory failure

death of

> 34-year-old retired police detective Zadroga was " directly

> related to the 9/11 incident. "

>

> Dr. , the federal appointee, said recently that

Zadroga's

> death and others may be " warning cases to us that something might

be

> going on here. "

>

> © 2006 The Associated Press

>

> ========================================================

> Lawsuit Says Poisons Killed 57 at WTC Site

>

> By Zambito

> Daily News

> June 23, 2006

>

> http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/429268p-361877c.html

>

> Fifty-seven Ground Zero workers have died and thousands of others

have

> been sickened by exposure to a noxious mix of chemicals released

when

> the World Trade Center was reduced to smoldering rubble, their

lawyer

> said yesterday.

>

> But in a courtroom blocks from the site, the city denied

> responsibility, saying its contractors were acting in the nation's

> defense as they worked to restore Ground Zero in the months after

the

> Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

>

> " The city and the contractors stepped up to the plate on 9/11 and

> worked 24/7 until the job was done, " city attorney Tyrrell

told

> Manhattan Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein. " They jumped in, no

> questions asked, and did their duty. "

>

> The city is trying to beat back a class-action lawsuit filed by

some

> 8,000 workers and the families of the dead who claim the city, in

its

> haste to clear the site, exposed them to dangerous levels of

asbestos,

> lead and other toxins.

>

> Dozens have died from cancers accelerated by respiratory diseases

> brought on by their work at Ground Zero, said Worby, an

attorney

> who represents the plaintiffs. The sick include firefighters, cops,

> construction workers and other emergency personnel.

>

> Tyrrell argued that the city should be shielded from negligence

claims

> because it was in the midst of a national emergency that demanded a

> " robust " response.

>

> But Worby said Ground Zero ceased being an emergency site in the

days

> after the attacks when Bush administration officials declared air

> quality at Ground Zero safe.

>

> " At a certain point, the emergency ends and the regular rules have

to

> apply, " Worby said. " The tragedy is this is only the beginning [of

the

> number of] the people who are sick and dying. "

>

> Hellerstein questioned Tyrrell about the " prolonged nature " of an

> " emergency " cleanup that lasted eight months.

>

> The city, together with the Port Authority and several other

> defendants, will continue making its case before Hellerstein

today.

> --------------------------------------------------------------------

------

>

> Public Affairs Director, New York Committee for Occupational

Safety and

> Health

> 116 Street, Suite 604, New York NY 10038

> jbennett@...

> Tel: 212-227-6440 ext. 14

> Fax: 212-227-9854

>

> Please visit our website: http://www.nycosh.org

> Subscribe to our free biweekly Update on Safety and Health by

sending

> an e-mail message to subupdate@...

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

do they think that ethanol is not going to add to the problem? just

amagine moldy corn fermented, yum,yum. I dont know about other states

but the ethanol is makeing big news and theres going to be a big rush

of ethanol plants here. I predict that I will have a increased

problem with sensativitys, and corn is going to become a even bigger

deal here in the corn belt and where theres corn theres round up.

that should make monsantos, out of st. louis missouri, very

happy.

>

>

>

>

> We'll probably never see anything on TV, about it, anytime soon. I

feel

> terrible for all the many people exposed after the 9/11 attacks.

They don't want

> us to know just like they don't want everyone to know what toxic

mold can do.

> They just continue to deny everything and allow people to suffer

and die.

> It is beyond my comprehension how the powers that be can continue

to get by

> with the deceit!! It is a never ending story!!

> Many of us have been living with this for years. Employers and

landloards

> know that mold is harmful but they are allowed to conveniently

ignore it. They

> clean up just a little to make themselves look good, then tell you

it was

> only a small amount of mold, it's not a danger , it's everywhere,

everything is

> fine, and most people believe i!. Those of us who finally figured

it out, on

> our own, know better!!!!

> Like most things, however, I don't think they will be able to

ignore these

> problems much longer.Very soon, after a few months of hot humid

weather in New

> Orleans, & other the other flooded areas, I think Drs. are going to

start

> seeing some very sick people! I just hope there will be some

smart Drs. that

> will begin to connect the dots!! Little by little information will

leak out

> about the 9/11 rescue workers but it will be too late for so many.

Always the

> same old story, they just sweep it under the rug as long as they

can get by

> with it!

> why hasn't there been anything on tv about this? I have seen

> nothing. it amazes me what is not shown on tv. even the reporters

> have been bought off. used as a tool to make the public believe

what

> they want us to believe. I'm really discusted with it all. this is

so

> sad.

>

>

>

>

>

> > " The EPA said there was no danger, but this was the perfect

storm

> of

> > environmental toxins, and now we're paying the price, " says

> > Cahill, an air pollution expert and professor emeritus at the

> > University of California, , who studied the air quality

around

> > Ground Zero. " It was wildly toxic, and the EPA knew that.

> Hopefully,

> > this will lead to a renewed effort not to forget these people. "

>

>

>

>

>