Re: EPA Workers Say Building Is Making Them Sick

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I have never heard of the AFGE taking a stand for employees injured
by mold before. Have you?

On 11/03/10, Rem Dude wrote:
> Allow me to be more succinct - The American Federation of
> Government Employees
>
> And let’s just say that I know a lot more about the situation
> than what what was in the article.
>
> RD
>
> On 11/02/10, Sharon Kramer wrote:
>> RemDude,
>>
>> I don't understand your message. Please explain. Did you read
>> this in the article?
>> *******************************
>>
>> Oct 28, 2010 EPA workers say North Carolina building making
>> them sick despite attempts to fix problems
>>
>> ...In his note, Carter attributed this anxiety to “recent
>> documented health symptoms among some of our people, visible
>> mold growth” and other issues.
>>
>> .....Mary Jane Selgrade, who retired in July as acting
> director
>> of the Experimental Toxicology Division of the Research
>> Triangle Park campus, says EPA was slow to respond to employee
>> concerns about air quality.
>>
>> "Early on it seemed they cared more about the equipment than
>> the people," Selgrade said. "There was almost a sense of
>> apathy. They reacted slowly. It was frustrating for everybody.”
>>
>> “They told people to go to the health unit when they had
>> problems,” she said. “But when they went, the health unit was
>> not very receptive, for a long time. People were very turned
>> off by that.”
>>
>> One man in her unit, Selgrade said, reacted so badly to the
>> particles that he had to be rushed to the emergency room. His
>> hand had swollen up so much that hospital workers had to cut
>> off his wedding ring. “It impacted his career,” she said. “He
>> couldn’t go into his office.”
>>
>> “You're having throat problems. Your eyes are watering. You're
>> having, possibly, difficult breathing,” said Silvia Saracco,
>> the president of the union that represents many of those
>> workers. “They want to come to work. They want to do their
>> jobs. And their health is being negatively affected. They're
>> having a hard time breathing."....
>>
>> ....EPA employees interviewed by the WRAL and the Workshop
>> asked not to be named, for fear of retaliation by EPA
>> officials....
>>
>> October 2010 Article:
>> http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/investigations/toxic-
>> influence/story/epa-building-north-carolina-has-air-quality-
>> issues/
>>
>> ******************************
>> In January 2006, I moderated a US Senate Dem Staff Briefing
>> about the ill health effects from microbial contaminants in
>> water damaged buildings. I had panel of four scientists. It
>> was suppose to be six. The EPA would not permit Mary Jane
>> Selgrade or Laura Kolb to come at the last minute.
>> Neurotoxicologist, Ken Hudnell - who was our original
> requested
>> EPA panelist - was denied right off the bat.
>>
>> January 2006 Invitation that went out to Senate staffers:
>> http://freepdfhosting.com/850dcdea10.pdf
>> (takes a minute to open)
>>
>>
>> *************************************
>>
>> Which takes us right back to my October 25, 2010 complaints
> for
>> the San Diego Appellate Court's failure to stop strategic
>> litigation (twice) by the use of perjury on the issue of
>> malice - by an author for the US Chamber - used to retaliate
>> agaisnt me, for the same thing the EPA workers are fearful to
>> speak of over the mold issue. If left unaddressed ( ie, even
> US
>> Chamber authors are not above the law that governs criminal
>> perjury while strategically litigating)leaves
>> the "environmental" science of the US Chamber of Commerce in
>> control of our medical teaching facilities used to lend false
>> credibility to mislead the courts - adverse to the health and
>> safety of the public.
>>
>> http://katysexposure.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/presiding-
> justice-
>> candidate&37;c2&37;a0judith-mcconnell-nine-subordinate-san-
> diego-
>> judicuariesassisting-with-strategic-litigation-by-criminal-
>> means-by-an-author-of-
> &37;e2&37;80&37;9cenvironmental&37;e2&37;80&37;9d-pol/
>>
>> ***********************
>>
>> "...In his note, Carter attributed this anxiety to “recent
>> documented health symptoms among some of our people, visible
>> mold growth” and other issues.
>>
>> ....EPA employees interviewed by the WRAL and the Workshop
>> asked not to be named, for fear of retaliation by EPA
>> officials....
>>
>> .....“You're having throat problems. Your eyes are watering.
>> You're having, possibly, difficult breathing,” said Silvia
>> Saracco, the president of the union that represents many of
>> those workers. “They want to come to work. They want to do
>> their jobs. And their health is being negatively affected.
>> They're having a hard time breathing."....
>>
>>
>> ***************************
>>
>> Sharon
>>
>> On 11/02/10, Rem Dude wrote:
>>> Let’s see:
>>>
>>> The American Federation of Government Employees
>>> Many of the Issues Corrected
>>> The American Federation of Government Employees
>>> Rust Particulate Traced To Humidifiers
>>> American Federation of Government Employees
>>> HVAC Duct System Replaced
>>> American Federation of Government Employees
>>> Mold Tests - Insignificant
>>> American Federation of Government Employees
>>> EPA Working to Correct Other Problems
>>> American Federation of Government Employees
>>>
>>> The source of the problem is easy to see...
>>>
>>> RD
>>>
>>> On 11/01/10, Sharon wrote:
>>>> North Carolina building making them sick despite attempts
>>>> to fix problems
>>>>
>>>>
>>> http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/investigations/tox
>>>> ic-influence/story/epa-building-north-carolina-has-air-
>>>> quality-issues/
>>>>
>>>> ....“You're having throat problems. Your eyes are
>>> watering.
>>>> You're having, possibly, difficult breathing,” said Silvia
>>>> Saracco, the president of the union that represents many
>>> of
>>>> those workers. “They want to come to work. They want to do
>>>> their jobs. And their health is being negatively affected.
>>>> They're having a hard time breathing."
>>>>
>>>> A report done in 2009, written by an EPA contractor and
>>>> obtained by the Investigative Reporting Workshop,
>>>> highlights years of problems dating back to 2003. At that
>>>> time, laboratory staff reported "excessive indoor
>>>> particulate levels," i.e., toxic dust, some of which was
>>>> contaminated with metals. Since then, the report noted,
>>>> workers in two buildings reported symptoms, including
>>>> coughs, eye irritation and chest pain with inhalation
>>> after
>>>> a “dump” of particulate matter occurred. “Some individuals
>>>> had persistent symptoms for many days prior to eventual
>>>> resolution, and some had symptoms recur when they tried to
>>>> return to their usual laboratories,” the report said.
>>>>
>>>> The study focused chiefly on Building-B, which consists of
>>>> laboratories and office space. It concluded that the
>>>> complex did not have “Sick Building Syndrome,” but
>>>> acknowledged that some workers were likely suffering
>>>> from "Building-Related Symptoms." The report also called
>>>> for additional sampling of indoor air contaminants.
>>>>
>>>> EPA employees interviewed by the WRAL and the Workshop
>>>> asked not to be named, for fear of retaliation by EPA
>>>> officials. One said it's still common for small pieces of
>>>> rusted metal to fall out of the air and land on computer
>>>> keyboards. Surfaces in labs and offices often look like
>>>> they have a thick coating of dust. It isn’t typical office
>>>> dust, however. Tests showed the presence of metal and
>>> glass
>>>> fragments that were not found in the air outside of the
>>>> buildings.
>>>>
>>>> Inside, the air has been so bad that electrical components
>>>> of some lab equipment have corroded. The damaged equipment
>>>> was fixed quickly, but the cause of toxic particulates
>>>> contaminating the equipment remained elusive.
>>>>
>>>> Workers got little support from top officials
>>>>
>>>> MaryJane Selgrade, who retired in July as acting director
>>>> of the Experimental Toxicology Division of the Research
>>>> Triangle Park campus, says EPA was slow to respond to
>>>> employee concerns about air quality.
>>>>
>>>> "Early on it seemed they cared more about the equipment
>>>> than the people," Selgrade said. "There was almost a sense
>>>> of apathy. They reacted slowly. It was frustrating for
>>>> everybody.”
>>>>
>>>> She said workers who developed health problems were
>>>> encouraged to go to the EPA health unit, but they got
>>>> little support.
>>>>
>>>> “They told people to go to the health unit when they had
>>>> problems,” she said. “But when they went, the health unit
>>>> was not very receptive, for a long time. People were very
>>>> turned off by that.”
>>>>
>>>> One man in her unit, Selgrade said, reacted so badly to
>>> the
>>>> particles that he had to be rushed to the emergency room.
>>>> His hand had swollen up so much that hospital workers had
>>>> to cut off his wedding ring. “It impacted his career,” she
>>>> said. “He couldn’t go into his office.”
>>>>
>>>> Saracco, president of the American Federation of
>>> Government
>>>> Employees Local 3347, which represents the workers, said
>>>> the agency was slow to address the problems. "I think it
>>>> became a real issue when management realized it was
>>>> affecting the equipment," he said....
>>>>