Veterans Exposed To Chemicals Need To Know

[allan]

<H1>FWD From: Colonel Dan

VETERANS EXPOSED TO CHEMICALS NEED TO KNOW

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/10/24/veterans-exposed-to-chemicals-need-to-know/#respond

　

　

Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 07:55:38 -0700

From: rdowd@live.com t

To: Distribution Semper Fi

Subject: [3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, MCAS El Toro] VETERANS EXPOSED TO CHEMICALS NEED TO KNOW

(WASHINGTON, DC) – For the life of me, I still don’t know why the Veteran Service Organizations (VSO’s) have not published the list of 130 military bases on the National Priority List (EPA Superfunds), the chemicals found by EPA and the health effects of exposure.

The EPA Superfund database is accessible from the internet and the health effects of exposure to many of the contaminants have been identified by the Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry (ATSDR).

Many vets have access to the internet from their own computers or from another family member. It’s not like this is classified information or any national security issues are in play.

What is at stake is the health of veterans. The health of veterans should be of paramount interest to all VSO’s. Veterans pay dues to their VSO’s to represent them and to protect their interests.

Not everyone who served on an EPA Superfund base was exposed to toxic chemicals. Publishing the EPA lists is not going to spread panic among veterans. We’re mature adults fully capable of making rational decisions about our health care needs.

DOD, the biggest owner of Superfund sites, has no interest in notifying veterans of their possible exposure to toxic chemicals nor is there a legal requirement for any government agency to notify veterans or Congressional interest in pursuing this.

I have personally sent emails or letters to the CEO’s of most of the major VSO’s, including the VFW, American Legion, Marine Corps League, Catholic War Vets, etc. Only the Catholic War Vets agreed to notify their membership.

Am I going to cancel my membership to the American Legion and the Marine Corps League? No. But, I’d like to think that the CEO’s of these organizations would demonstrate a personal interest in the health care of their memberships by publishing this information.

What’s the big deal? We pay dues to VSO’s to represent our interests. I’m betting that most vets have no idea that bases they served on are now EPA Superfund sites. A number may have been exposed to deadly contaminants, are now sick, and have never connected the dots to military service. Putting aside the VA disability claim issue, these men (mostly) need to know what chemicals they were exposed to so their doctors can provide an effective treatment plan. Keeping them in the dark is definitely not helpful. DOD is not going to tell them anything. If I didn’t know better, I’d think the VSO’s are working for DOD, not for their memberships.

EPA’s Unacceptable Risks to Human Health

For every military base on the National Priority List (Superfunds), EPA lists the chemicals found in the soil and groundwater that are an "unacceptable risk" to humans and the environment. This information is not classified. It’s not a secret. Every veteran who served on an EPA Superfund needs to know what chemcials he or she may have been exposed to and the health effects of exposure.

EPA’s Contaminants of Concern (COC’s) "are the chemical substances found at the site that the EPA has determined pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment. These are the substances that are addressed by cleanup actions at the site."

" Identifying COC’s is a process where the EPA identifies people and ecological resources that could be exposed to contamination found at the site, determines the amount and type of contaminants present, and identifies the possible negative human health or ecological effects that could result from contact with the contaminants."

A link to the list of COC’s is shown on the first page of each EPA Superfund website under the caption, "view contaminants of concern at this site."

For example, the health effects from exposure to a particular COC at MCAS El Toro, an EPA Superfund base, can be obtained by clinking on the ATSDR Profile next to the COC.

DOD is the biggest owner of EPA Superfund sites. For a complete list of the military bases on the National Priority List (NPL), click here.

--

Posted By Robert J. O'Dowd to 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, MCAS El Toro at 10/25/2010 10:47:00 AM

　

"Keep on, Keepin' on"

Dan Cedusky, Champaign IL "Colonel Dan"

See my web site at:

http://www.angelfire.com/il2/VeteranIssues/

</H1>

[retiredat44]

I was literally soaked in many toxic chemicals every day (skin, clothing, and breathing) and they will not recognize them has having part in my pancreas disease and tremors and shaking, and skin disease.. So, they will not care if a base had toxic chemicals..

<H1>FWD From: Colonel Dan

VETERANS EXPOSED TO CHEMICALS NEED TO KNOW

http://www.veteranst...o-know/#respond

　

　

Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 07:55:38 -0700

From: rdowd@live.com t

To: Distribution Semper Fi

Subject: [3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, MCAS El Toro] VETERANS EXPOSED TO CHEMICALS NEED TO KNOW

(WASHINGTON, DC) – For the life of me, I still don't know why the Veteran Service Organizations (VSO's) have not published the list of 130 military bases on the National Priority List (EPA Superfunds), the chemicals found by EPA and the health effects of exposure.

The EPA Superfund database is accessible from the internet and the health effects of exposure to many of the contaminants have been identified by the Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry (ATSDR).

.....................

</H1>

[retiredat44]

I was literally soaked in many toxic chemicals every day (skin, clothing, and breathing) and they will not recognize them has having part in my pancreas disease and tremors and shaking, and skin disease.. So, they will not care if a base had toxic chemicals..

I posted my story and toxic chemicals on their website with the story,, so far my post will not show up..

In the USAF, as a Fuels Specialist, I was soaked in Jet Fuel, Leaded Gasoline, Diesel Fuel, and Trichloroethylene daily, skin and clothing. I moved billions of gallons of fuel through storage, transfer, etc,, etc..

I got sick, my skin bled from breaking becuase my limbs had swollen very large. The skin broke open and I had stremas of bodily liquids and blood running down my arms. the headaches were excruciating. The Headaches were horrific migraiens that left me crying and screaming for days and nights. I had tremors with my hands and arms shaking.

The base command finally removed me, placed me into a new career. I worked a couple weeks in a weather squadron, in the Communications squadron. , aways from toxic checmicals, per the doctors order to be crosstrained to not work with any more toxic and petroleum chemicals..

The communications squadron took me again, and moved me to repro-graphics. That is the job of using offest printing presses. I had to use inks and the chemicals like trichloroethylene to clean the rollers.

Again, the petroleum chemicals caused massive skin swelling. Massive edema.

I have since suffered greatly from intestinal disease, tremors, shaking, neuroligical disease. I suffer from edema. I suffer from pancreatic disease. Currently from necotizing pancreatitis.

I have many otter phyisical problems. I have not been able to work in 20 years. I have spent most of the time suffering tryingot eat, on morphine. I have suffered through many operations. My last stay was for six months for a pancreas operation.

In the 1990's they only gave me 50% for headaches. They have refused and denied me further disability and am in the appeal stages.

My marriage was ruined, I had lost my home and could not work 20 years ago, my life crashed down around me. 20 years of laying down mostly. Morphine helps.

I gave them almost five years int he USAF, and had to leave because I got sick so many times, I had already gone through two jobs, had been hospitalizerd in the USAF for pnumonia, gastritis, had a concussion, and suffered from severe toxic petroleum chemical poisoning.

Thye appeals process has no yet given me one hcace wo a face-2-face meeting to tell them my story. I got an IMO (Indpendent Medical Opinion) from a toxicologist doctor with tons of information and research bgacking up my illness and toxc chemicals.

Ever day I just lay around sick waiting for the damned appeal to let me talk to someone face to face to tell me my story and ask why. As they can only send denials and put me on hold. I have not even gone into specifics, and all my problems. This is only part of the horror show.

[retiredat44]

the publisher of the story about the toxic chemicals has said he is willing to publish my story about my exposure and illness from toxic chemicals.. I wil check when it is published... I basically relpied to his email,,, and he siad he can, and I said ok.. I will let him publish my first name, but am not ccomfortable at this time with my full name, as I am worried about how it might affect my claim in a negative way if I piss someone off at the VA..

[Testvet]

the VA knows who you are use your first name only if you want the VA knows by your claimed issues and your IP address who you are there really is not any anonymity on the web my wnn claim was so obvious to anyone who read what my claimed issues were back in 2002 and the human experiments at Edgewood Arsenal anyone at the VA knew my claim and my screen name and could add 2+2 and make 4 out of it the local regional office will not even deal with veterans about the exposures listed at the EPA sites and the ATSDR thru the CDC they deny that you were ever exposed to that particular toxic substance and then claim we can't prove it was in the water the day we drank it etc, a BVA Judge might award an exposure claim based on the EPA and CDC reports but the VAROs are not going to do it.

They spent 9 years ignoring the fact I was even used as a human test subject, I was made to look like a liar I was telling tall tells I even have a letter from an Army Colonel to a Congressman explaining that a lot of "older veterans" think they were used in "secret experiments" and that just is not true. For one thing I never claimed to be used in "secret tests" I have a FOIA file from Edgewood Arsenal where I was on TDY from June 25, 1974 thru August 22 1974 for use in research my file numbers is 6778A the A means I was available for any and all experiments drugs or equipment there were 4 classifications A, B, C and D they used chemical weapons, legal drugs illegal drugs and equipment experiments this is where they did MKULTRA the CIA program for mind control was partly done at Edgewood Arsenal. 75% of these veterans are already dead or disabled by FY 2000 when the last medical study was done. Pretty high percentages for men aged 45-65 at that time.

They have a lawsuit trying to force the govt to accept the exposures and make the DOD and the VA take care of the survivors medically at least for the rest of their lives regardless of means tests as they are the SHAD/112 veterans as Category 6 in the VA system. The suit was filed in Jan 09 and they don't expect the case to go to trial until spring 2012 I hope I live long enough to see the outcome

http://edgewoodtestvets.org/ the court filed documents make interesting reading if you have a lot of time to read there are hundreds of pages now and climbing

you will not get justice at the regional office and I would not hold my breath at the BVA level either on exposure cases