Mayor Michael Mullen confirmed Thursday evening that C8 has been detected in Marietta’s water. Finished water was found to contain the manufacturing substance in a concentration of 10 parts per trillion.
Safety Service Director Dave Sands said it’s important to remember that the level detected in Marietta’s water is 50 times lower than the interim action level established by EPA, which is 0.5 parts per billion.
Mullen stressed that the results received by phone were preliminary and not a final written report, which is expected within days. He said the results have been submitted to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.
Sands said the city’s wells were tested and results ranged from non-detect to 18 parts per trillion.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
C8 Science Panel speaks . . .
The Science Panel released the following statement today:
"The C8 Science Panel welcomes the decision of Brookmar and WVU to post, as planned, the summary description of the data collected in the C8 Health Project at their websites. Access to data is available through www.c8healthproject.org.
The C8 Health Project is now completed, and the reports they are preparing provide useful baseline information for the community as the Science Panel Community Health research program gets underway.
The Science Panel has now started its longer-term activities. The first phase will involve research to assess the relationship between C8 and various health outcomes, and the second phase will assess for the court all the evidence as to whether C8 is linked to disease. The research results, and then later the assessments, will be reported first to the court and then to the public via our website, www.c8sciencepanel.org , and more formal publications. Our research plans have been updated and explained in some detail on our website, which we invite you to visit regularly. We will be drawing on the valuable data collected by Brookmar for some of our research and collecting further data on community health, as well. We will be regularly updating the public on progress mainly through our website and the press, particularly when we have research results to share.
Work has already started and we are in the first phase of new data collection in the Half-Life Study, designed to determine how long C8 stays in the body. In response to a number of people contacting us by email, we have also re-opened the consent process for those Health Project participants wishing to be part of the next steps of the Panel's studies. Complete details are available at www.c8sciencepanel.org."
C8 Science Panel: Dr. Kyle Steenland, Dr. Tony Fletcher, Dr. David Savitz
"The C8 Science Panel welcomes the decision of Brookmar and WVU to post, as planned, the summary description of the data collected in the C8 Health Project at their websites. Access to data is available through www.c8healthproject.org.
The C8 Health Project is now completed, and the reports they are preparing provide useful baseline information for the community as the Science Panel Community Health research program gets underway.
The Science Panel has now started its longer-term activities. The first phase will involve research to assess the relationship between C8 and various health outcomes, and the second phase will assess for the court all the evidence as to whether C8 is linked to disease. The research results, and then later the assessments, will be reported first to the court and then to the public via our website, www.c8sciencepanel.org , and more formal publications. Our research plans have been updated and explained in some detail on our website, which we invite you to visit regularly. We will be drawing on the valuable data collected by Brookmar for some of our research and collecting further data on community health, as well. We will be regularly updating the public on progress mainly through our website and the press, particularly when we have research results to share.
Work has already started and we are in the first phase of new data collection in the Half-Life Study, designed to determine how long C8 stays in the body. In response to a number of people contacting us by email, we have also re-opened the consent process for those Health Project participants wishing to be part of the next steps of the Panel's studies. Complete details are available at www.c8sciencepanel.org."
C8 Science Panel: Dr. Kyle Steenland, Dr. Tony Fletcher, Dr. David Savitz
Saturday, July 7, 2007
An initial batch of raw data released Friday by C8 Health Project administrators reveals some new information about the well being of the 70,000 participants.
For reasons not yet explained by science or project analysts, “of adult participants, almost half had total cholesterol above desired levels.” That was the case for both men and women.
High blood cholesterol increases the risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. West Virginia ranks second in the nation for incidences of high cholesterol, which health statistics indicate impacts 38.1 percent of the state’s population. Ohio ranks 18th in the U.S. with 33.9 percent of Buckeyes having high cholesterol.
Youngsters who participated in the C8 Health Project exhibited elevated cholesterol levels, too. “Of participants 2-19 years of age, more than one-third had total cholesterol levels above the acceptable range. Total cholesterol was higher in girls compared to boys.”
Some worker studies have suggested a link between highly exposed worker populations and an increase in cholesterol. So far, the C8 levels of the health project participants have not been released, which means it’s not yet possible to draw correlations between exposures and any type of potential impacts.
Another portion of data revealed Friday shows a disproportionately high concentration of kids with learning problems. 9.1 percent of girls aged 11 to 20 and 7.3 percent of young women aged 21 to 30 report having learning disabilities. For girls under the age of 10, just 5.5 percent reported having learning disabilities.
17.7 percent of boys aged 11 to 20 and 12.8 percent of young men aged 21 to 30 report having learning disabilities. For boys under the age of ten, 9 percent reported having learning disabilities.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the national rate of learning disabilities is 4.8 percent. West Virginia has one of the highest rates at 13.5 percent. The prevalence of learning disabilities in Ohio is 5 percent.
For reasons not yet explained by science or project analysts, “of adult participants, almost half had total cholesterol above desired levels.” That was the case for both men and women.
High blood cholesterol increases the risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. West Virginia ranks second in the nation for incidences of high cholesterol, which health statistics indicate impacts 38.1 percent of the state’s population. Ohio ranks 18th in the U.S. with 33.9 percent of Buckeyes having high cholesterol.
Youngsters who participated in the C8 Health Project exhibited elevated cholesterol levels, too. “Of participants 2-19 years of age, more than one-third had total cholesterol levels above the acceptable range. Total cholesterol was higher in girls compared to boys.”
Some worker studies have suggested a link between highly exposed worker populations and an increase in cholesterol. So far, the C8 levels of the health project participants have not been released, which means it’s not yet possible to draw correlations between exposures and any type of potential impacts.
Another portion of data revealed Friday shows a disproportionately high concentration of kids with learning problems. 9.1 percent of girls aged 11 to 20 and 7.3 percent of young women aged 21 to 30 report having learning disabilities. For girls under the age of 10, just 5.5 percent reported having learning disabilities.
17.7 percent of boys aged 11 to 20 and 12.8 percent of young men aged 21 to 30 report having learning disabilities. For boys under the age of ten, 9 percent reported having learning disabilities.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the national rate of learning disabilities is 4.8 percent. West Virginia has one of the highest rates at 13.5 percent. The prevalence of learning disabilities in Ohio is 5 percent.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Brookmar Releases Some C8 Health Project Results Online
Brookmar, court appointed administrators of the C8 Health Project, publicly released the first batch of raw data online today. The health project results can be found at www.C8HealthProject.org by following the link to WVU Data.
So far, four categories of information have been posted to the website, which is under construction. The categories posted do not include information on C8 levels, but do include demographic characteristics, the results of clinical laboratory tests, health behaviors, and self-reported clinical diagnoses.
The data released is part of the comprehensive study of 70,000 Mid Ohio Valley residents to determine whether or not C8 can be linked to human disease. The information will be examined by a panel of three epidemiologists, known as the C8 Science Panel, who will ultimately determine the outcome of the class action suit brought against DuPont by local people who were consuming water found to be contaminated with C8.
So far, four categories of information have been posted to the website, which is under construction. The categories posted do not include information on C8 levels, but do include demographic characteristics, the results of clinical laboratory tests, health behaviors, and self-reported clinical diagnoses.
The data released is part of the comprehensive study of 70,000 Mid Ohio Valley residents to determine whether or not C8 can be linked to human disease. The information will be examined by a panel of three epidemiologists, known as the C8 Science Panel, who will ultimately determine the outcome of the class action suit brought against DuPont by local people who were consuming water found to be contaminated with C8.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Little Hocking Seeks Cleanup
The Little Hocking Water Association says the C8 in their well field presents an imminent and substantial endangerment to health and the environment. So, they are asking DuPont to clean up the manufacturing substance that has contaminated their aquifer.
The small, rural water association has sent a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act notice to DuPont asking for the clean up of the well field, identification of alternate water sources, and extensive testing of the filtration plant currently under construction.
Attorney David Altman said the continued violation of the endangerment standard would constitute a violation of federal law if it were allowed to go on.
“We want to be sure that they understand the gravity of the situation," Altman said. "There's been a lot of new information developing like New Jersey's temporary standard, which is far below US EPA's negotiated standard. We just want the best for our members and to make sure that people who already have high levels, which sadly are the people of Little Hocking, are protected from additional C8.”
Altman said the construction of a filtration plant to remove the C8 from water is only an interim measure.
“Facets of the operation of this filtration plant, which is as my client has made very clear is a test or an experimental plant that we hope will work. We want to be sure it does work. But, we want to make sure it operates long enough, operates properly and is tested properly,” Altman said.
Without more conclusive information on the potential health impacts from exposure, Altman said any level of exposure is too much.
“When you already have high levels, we're not interested in the people of Little Hocking becoming guinea pigs to prove just how much will start to show various problems,” Altman said.
That's why Little Hocking is seeking a more permanent solution than the treatment facility current under construction.
“It doesn't really address the underlying issues, which RCRA is aimed at, which is either permanent alternate water or a clean up of the aquifer and the well fields themselves,” Altman said.
The notice advised DuPont that Little Hocking is committed to resolving these issues by the end of August.
The small, rural water association has sent a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act notice to DuPont asking for the clean up of the well field, identification of alternate water sources, and extensive testing of the filtration plant currently under construction.
Attorney David Altman said the continued violation of the endangerment standard would constitute a violation of federal law if it were allowed to go on.
“We want to be sure that they understand the gravity of the situation," Altman said. "There's been a lot of new information developing like New Jersey's temporary standard, which is far below US EPA's negotiated standard. We just want the best for our members and to make sure that people who already have high levels, which sadly are the people of Little Hocking, are protected from additional C8.”
Altman said the construction of a filtration plant to remove the C8 from water is only an interim measure.
“Facets of the operation of this filtration plant, which is as my client has made very clear is a test or an experimental plant that we hope will work. We want to be sure it does work. But, we want to make sure it operates long enough, operates properly and is tested properly,” Altman said.
Without more conclusive information on the potential health impacts from exposure, Altman said any level of exposure is too much.
“When you already have high levels, we're not interested in the people of Little Hocking becoming guinea pigs to prove just how much will start to show various problems,” Altman said.
That's why Little Hocking is seeking a more permanent solution than the treatment facility current under construction.
“It doesn't really address the underlying issues, which RCRA is aimed at, which is either permanent alternate water or a clean up of the aquifer and the well fields themselves,” Altman said.
The notice advised DuPont that Little Hocking is committed to resolving these issues by the end of August.
Environmental Justice Forum with Lois Gibbs
Follow the link for photos and notes from last Saturday's event:
http://www.ohiocitizen.org/campaigns/eramet/ohej_forum.html
http://www.ohiocitizen.org/campaigns/eramet/ohej_forum.html
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