Re: FW: Tennessean Story

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

The article with the appropriate perspective is the following, from 
AP. It addresses the concerns, but also cautions that the sample 
of 410 individuals interviewed by the Tennessean is not a scieintific 
study, and that all of these sites also have/had a significant 
amount of other hazardous materials and chemicals on their 
property. I believe the article to be fair in its reporting:

Wednesday September 30 8:09 AM EDT

Widespread Illnesses Hit 11 States

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ Hundreds of people living near or 
working at nuclear weapons plants and research installations in 11 
states reportedly are suffering an array of unexplained illnesses.  

The Tennessean interviewed 410 people whose ailments include 
tremors, memory loss, fatigue and a variety of breathing, muscular 
and reproductive problems. Their doctors cannot explain why they 
are sick.  

No direct link has been established between the illnesses and the 
Energy Department sites. And the 410 people are not a scientific 
sampling and represent only a tiny percentage of the millions of 
people who live near or work at the plants.  

Nor is it clear whether the people at or near these plants suffer a 
higher rate of unexplained illnesses than the general population.  

Still, doctors, scientists and lawmakers said the number of sick 
people is large enough to warrant a comprehensive study to try to 
find the cause.  

``Four hundred people is a lot of people,'' said George W. Lucier, 
director of the environmental toxicology program at the National 
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. ``It's not just two or 
three. It is something widespread. At least the wheels should be 
set in motion in which a team of physicians can go in and look at 
things more systemically.''  

Energy Department officials acknowledge the sites are 
contaminated. Among the materials used at the sites were 
radioactive elements like plutonium; compounds such as the 
solvent carbon tetrachloride and cancer-causing PCBs; and toxic 
metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic.  

But the department maintains there is no evidence that workers or 
residents were exposed to the contaminants in amounts high 
enough to harm them.  

The Tennessean, in its report published Tuesday, said it talked to 
ailing residents and workers at 13 Energy Department sites in 
Tennessee, Colorado, South Carolina, New Mexico, Idaho, New 
York, California, Ohio, Kentucky, Texas and Washington.  

The six largest sites employ about 61,000 people. Roughly 4 
million people live within a 50-mile radius of the facilities.  

The Energy Department does not plan to take a comprehensive 
look at the issue, said Peter N. Brush, the agency's acting 
assistant secretary for environment, safety and health. Officials 
said the agency is prohibited by Congress from acting on health 
problems unless there is a ``plausible connection'' between 
department activities and the illnesses.  

The only doctor in the Senate, Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said it's 
important to determine if there is a common denominator in the 
illnesses.  

``The health complaints gathered from people living in communities 
near nuclear plants certainly raise questions. Before drawing any 
conclusions, however, we must be careful to rely on scientific  
evidence,'' he said.

------------------
Sandy Perle
Technical Director
ICN Dosimetry Division
ICN Plaza
3300 Hyland Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Office: (800) 548-5100 x2306 
Fax:    (714) 668-3149
  
sandyfl@earthlink.net
sperle@icnpharm.com

ICN Dosimetry Website:
http://www.dosimetry.com

Personal Website:
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/1205

"The object of opening the mind, as of opening 
the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
              - G. K. Chesterton -

The opinions expressed are solely, absolutely, positively, definitely those of the author, and NOT my employer
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