The Brockovich Report

I agree

Erin - Ironically I scrolled through my emails from this morning and found this blog. My mother is a 62 year old mother of four who is active, doesn't smoke/drink/eat poorly and has worked as special ed teacher for the last 35+ years. She was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. She was a mail carrier to Rocketdyne in the Santa Susana pass during this time. We are sick as a family.

This case can be refiled under federal regulations you have 30 years from the date you discover the issues when the exposure is chemical or radioactive and the health issues are discovered this part was put in federal to ensure that people could sue when they discovered they had an illness which came from exposures you have posted about if you have any questions please contact me via e-mail LMay4111@aol.com or you can call me at either 217 390-4299 or 217 373-1673 Thanks LMay4111

HAVING LOST FAMILY AND FRIENDS DUE TO THIS EXPOSURE EVENT, I CAN SAY IN A TRULY UN-BIASED WAY THAT THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS STANDARDS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE CASES THAT LEAD TO PERSONAL INJURY. THE TOXIC LEGACY THAT INDUSTRY IN THE US HAS LEFT BEHIND, AND IS CURRENTLY FORCING ONTO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IS JUSTICE RUN AMUCK! THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO RECOVER DAMAGES FROM TOXIC RELEASES, SPILLS AND EXPOSURES THAT HAPPENED DECADES AGO, BECAUSE THAT'S THE NATURE OF THE TOXIC BEAST! IT STILL PREVAILS IN THE ENVIRONMENT EXPOSING FUTURE GENERATIONS ON AN ON-GOING BASIS AND PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE SHOULD NOT PRECLUDE JUSTICE, IT SHOULD ENFORCE IT!
ANONYMOUS

"Why should the victims of such withheld facts be penalized?"

Good question. Again, just because the law says it's too late and treats this as if it didn't happen because the statute has passed does not mean it did not happen and that the damage wasn't done. I think it is ludicrous that these so-called man made laws seem to interfere with true justice. Why is it that the party that is the most dishonest, corrupt and deceitful is the one that comes across as the "good guy," the one to be protected. There is something so very unsettling, twisted and wrong with this current path that our "justice system" is on. Wouldn't "witheld facts" be considered obstruction of justice? Or does "Justice" even care? From what I have witnessed in the past year "Justice" seems to condone and PROTECT the perpetrators who destroy important information, tamper, lie, cheat and intentionally deceive the public.

If there have been deaths from this incident, the cause of death must be listed on the death certificate along with contributing causes and also the Manner of death. If the Manner of death is left undetermined, then the case can remain forever open. If the statement was "so what if a few people are killed" the manner would thus be Homicide considering the new information.

I am familiar with many cases that end in this manner...where the statue of limitations has run out therefore leaving no recourse for victims. So the question is what can the average person do to help change the legislation? In laymen terms. What can we do? Charlene Wallace

Erin,

Don't let this die, don't give up. I know you and Ed were overcome by the Giants at Boeing & DOE but we need to press on. Thank you for everything you have done, the neighbors of the Santa Susana Field Lab thank you as well. I invite everyone to Join my Yahoo Group. It is filled with Members who have a connection to Rocketdyne, either as a former employee who is concerned about heath, or loved ones who have lost someone due to the SSFL. Help us, help each other by sharing. We are not alone in this.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/TheRocketdyneInformationSociety/

Erin,

Don't let this die, don't give up. I know you and Ed were overcome by the Giants at Boeing & DOE but we need to press on. Thank you for everything you have done, the neighbors of the Santa Susana Field Lab thank you as well. I invite everyone to Join my Yahoo Group. It is filled with Members who have a connection to Rocketdyne, either as a former employee who is concerned about heath, or loved ones who have lost someone due to the SSFL. Help us, help each other by sharing. We are not alone in this.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/TheRocketdyneInformationSociety/

I am pursuing a lawsuit against SSFL currently as I just recently discovered that I was in utero and lived in Cangoa Park until the age of one. My brother was also exposed as was my mother. My brother and I ended up with papillary thyroid cancer and my mother with lung cancer. Is there any one like me, the unrepresented demographic, who is interested in pursuing a new law suit ? My brother and I also came up out of reference range for Uranium in our hair analysis. Does anyone else have similar hair analysis results that now has cancer ?

The best coverage of Rocketdyne has been done by investigative journalist Michael Collins and can be read at www.EnviroReporter.com. This award-winning writer is credited with saving Ahmanson Ranch with his reporting. If you want to know about the Santa Susana Field Lab's dismal and deathly history, you have to check his site out.

My father worked at Rocketdyne for over 30 years most of that time on the testing of the rocket engines. After being exposed to hydrazine and TCE (and God knows what else) prior to any protective measures being taken, he died just three short years after he retired at age 70 of a combination of prostate and bladder cancer. His bladder was so full of tumors that a catheter wouldn't stay in and it leaked constantly.

It is my understanding that not too many of the employees have survived. My father never said much about his work only that he knew the job would kill him. He took all of the secrets to his grave. My sister, brother and I don't even know for sure what he did only that he may have worked in experimental fuel systems. That would account for his cancers.

The paternal side of the family is long lived, his father lived to 89, his brother 87 and his sister just passed at 92. You do the math, he should have lived at least another 15-18 years.

Please don't let them get away with this, is there a statute of limitations on death? In my opinion They knew exactly what happened and destroyed the evidence. How did all of the records from the fifties and early sixties just disappear?

Hi Erin,
I do hope you consider making this whole situation with Rocketdyne known to the general public in the USA. There are so many people like me who were exposed in utero and as small children and moved away from the area and then developed cancers thiry years later that are not in their family history. I had my hair analysis done and it was high in uranium , I had my kids hair tested and they are 1/2 of my uranium level which means I may have passed on my exposure to them and that means they will then pass on 1/2 of their exposure to their kids etc. Please give my unrepresented demographic a voice Julie 805-388-5569

Hi Erin,

I have a list of 18 people, about 5 separate families, all have been made ill from living near the
SSFL. My family lived less than 2 miles from the facility. Out of our origional 6 family members, only myself and sister are living. Both of us have serious health issues.

1-530-223-6334

Trudi Ferguson

I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at age 24, which led to a total thyroidectomy. In July 1959 I lived within 30 miles of Rocketdyne's nuclear meltdown in downtown Los Angeles. According to a friend of a friend, working at Rocketdyne as a chemist that day, the winds blew southeast over San Fernando and Los Angeles Counties.

I was in utero, 4 1/2 months at the time. According to Dr. Helen Caldicott, my developing system was most susceptible to contracting thyroid cancer, possibly altering my DNA to affect future generations. I am the only family member to have had thyroid disease or cancer.

If a new class action lawsuit develops regarding cancers from radiation near and downwind from Rocketdyne, I'd like to be contacted. It must be against the law not to disclose a nuclear meltdown that causes cancer. Had my mother been told, I'd likely still have a thyroid because I would have known to get checked for thyroid disease earlier. As it was, doctors said based on my tumor's size it was probably growing at least eight years. There's a precedent for a successful lawsuit for victims of thyroid cancers living downwind from Hanford nuclear facility in Washington State forty years after exposure. My email is donna@gogreenpr.com

the childhood cancers in the area are above normal-the case of 14 retinoblastoma within 2.8 miles represents a 900% incerase--epidemiologist have deemed this environmental--kids with no eyes--
they need to clean up this mess-
the neuroblastomas have killed at least 5
the leukemia's are at least 800% increase--
the parents of these children are carpooling to childrens hospital la--
this is the new chernobyl estates and three mile island canyon
doesn't this sound like sellafied in the UK-
Please have screeing programs put into place so more kids don't die!

"So What if we KILL A FEW PEOPLE with our testing!"

Or So What if we create health issues for the living, that will shorten their life span or decrease their
quality of life, or "ALTER" their ability to have children or their ability to be gainfully employment and live a normal life!

Out of my "original" Family of 6, (2 biological parents and 4 children) Myself and My Sister are the only 2 living, out of 6.

GENERATION ONE: My Parents
Dad, lost his ability to "talk", can you imagine what this would be like? CANCER of the Larynx. Surgery was done about 1973, but at least 5 years prior, he was chronically sick! Headaches, sinus infections, ear aches, tooth aches, stiff neck, sore throats, itching skin!
Died age 69!
UCLA study states, people living closer to the SSFL are more likely to develop CANCER. One of the CANCERs mentioned, aerodigestive CANCER. Cancer of the LARYNX or esophogeal cancer might be an aerodigestive? Did we live within 2 miles? YES! Our house was on a WELL! My Parents were the homeowners!
MOM, just decided about 1969 to quit her job (which she loved) and quit driving! She complained of dry skin and digestive problems. She was always tired, and complained of poor sleep. The skin on her legs was so thin and dry, even though she had on Nylons, she would accidently bump her legs and the SKIN would tear, but NOT THE NYLONS! (This was back in the day when nylons ran easily!) Years Later she lost cognitive function. Death Cert states "THYROID INSUFFIENCY"
GENERATION 2,
2 sons dead, #1 son died age 59, #2 son died age 56.
They died within 3 months of each other.
2 daughters, both with health issues. Living.
GENERATION 3,
My oldest brother's first born, today is 47, directly following the death of his father was diagnosed with a MASS on his Adrenal Gland!
I had 3 children. 2 of my kids had turned in feet at birth, needing orthopedic correction. (BENT FEET?) The doctors told me, it was because of the shape of my uterus? 1 child had an extra artery in the umbilical cord! Just a coincidence? (so far I feel blessed this is all it is)
Do you think families have struggled? YOU BET!
Interestingly, my very best friend since JR High, married a boy (his father worked on the HILL) the 1st year they were married, he was diagnosed with HODGKIN'S DISEASE! They lived in Simi, "Texas Tract" since 1961. His brother died the SAME MONTH and YEAR as my oldest brother. He was 53, LIVER FAILURE! Just coincidence right?
MY Paternal GREAT GRANDFATHER died age 87,
MY Paternal GRANDFATHER died age 83!
MY Paternal FATHER died age 69!
HIS #1 Son died age 59!
HIS #2 Son died age 56!
Son of #1 diagnosed with a MASS on the adrenal gland age 47!
HMMMM, didn't I recently hear that the life span of
humans has increased to the average age of 78! AN ALL TIME HIGH!
Apparently this is not the case with my FAMILY! But heh, we must be among "THE sacrificial FEW"!

Hello Erin,

I am the baby of the family that lived at the corner of Santa Susana & Box Cyn. Rd. & had lived other places in the area, under 10 mls. from the site for aprox. 10yrs.

I would like to give this food for thought, my brother, Patrick "Lee" Carlton died recently at the age of 58 from Brain Cancer, et. al. He had been a Road Equiptment Manager for 3 Dog Nite for over 4 yrs. He started with them just when they took off. I'd like to dedicate it to you Erin & address it to Boeing, etc., etc.

EASY TO BE HARD...

HOW CAN PEOPLE BE SO HEARTLESS...
HOW CAN PEOPLE BE SO CRUEL...
EASY, TO BE HARD.
IT'S EASY TO SAY NO.
ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT STRANGERS,
WHO CARE BOUT EVIL & SOCIAL INJUSTICE...
DO YOU ONLY CARE ABOUT THE NEEDING CROWD,
HOW ABOUT A NEEDING FRIEND, WE ALL NEED A FRIEND.

It's more of the feeling than the exact subtext. I hope you get my underlying emotion.

Yes, we lived there when they hit the charts with "One is the Loneliest Number" etc., etc.

None of use deserved the life force & yes life itself yanked from our hearts, souls & bodies.

There was origianally 6 of us. Now there are 2.

We have long suffered, Cancers of the Brain, Stoma, Melanoma, Lip & Chin, Stomach.

Thyroid maladies including complete shut down & death.

Heart Dis-eases & a long list of Emotional, Nueological & A level of Overwhelming confusion & fright.

But, after all, we were just the Carlton's, only a family of 6, that's not much, who's father, a Master Sargent of 20yrs. active & 10yrs. in-active Service, 1st wave at Guada Canal.

A beautiful mother, who could do anything & was the baby of a family of 13 New York Pac Bell Operators & Bayonne Detectives.

Oldest Brother who set the Rock & Roll as well as the early Sattellite business' on their ears.

The other Brother who got the "Three Dog" gig from the afore-mentioned brother, by the way the oldest & he went in 6 months of Lee.

My siter, who like myself still punches away, we are both over 50. She however has had a full family since she got out of High School basically & has been the foundation of our depleting & ailing family. She has 3 children & 4 grandchildren. She is the strength of this family. She is long-suffering with various & asundry disfunctions, including syndromes from a severe kidney malformation & who knows what else that she drags herself out of bed everyday & deals with.
The grace & determinaton of a true winner at whatever she put her energies to.
Now she goes to bed every night (EVER SINCE WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS ABOMINATION HERE IN FEBRUARY 2007) I guarentee you, with alot less hope for her future. But I also guarentee you, she will use every last ounce of her life-force to make sure our generations now & to come are happy & healty.

That leaves myself & my son who is 14yrs old, who just got over childhood epilepsy, that just came out of no where, not something that any of our family had to deal with in our pasts. He is well over it though with a love for life, music & an artist of a calaber that surprises me each time he shares with me, be it visual or musical in nature. He has a bright future & by the grace of God a full future.

Myself...ever since my early teens, I have had many emotional dificulties, but it never became a serious problem till my adult yrs. I have been diagnoised in the last 10 yrs. as "Bi-Polar", but that I feel just covers the tip of the problem.

Last year I tried to kill myself after an uncaring physician cut off my pain medications as well as all tranquilizers & sleeping meds that I had been on for the prior 5 yrs. I was unable to carry on to get into another pain clinic because of the area I live in. I held on for 6 months, going to the hosp. multiple times by ambulance. Basically, ever since I was 20, I've been on one controlled pain med or another. After the suicide attempt, I was given assistance & am now with a new Pysician.

I do love life & really would love to continue with my son & relatives all well & dealing gracefully with the things of life. It is frightening to think that one bad move & my life can be crumpled again by the withdrawl of my meds.

The phrase " the garbage we have been dealt" does not come close to covering the loss we have, are still & will through out our lives LONG-SUFFER.

Can you get close to imagining how I felt when finding out that others who lived in that area we were poisoned at, had very similar conditions as did I. After years of Drs telling me I was a hypochondriac...
well, even my family said the same thing, not knowing how a totally healty, outgoing, atheletic, intellgent individual like myself (& like the rest of my family) could have all of a sudden the aches, pains, disfunctions & syndromes. "Probably drug seeking!" Hell yes I was drug seeking, with Chronic Intractable Pain, there is no life with out pharmacueticals.

I defy anyone to take the medications that I have had to or are now taking, to tell me that this is anyones idea of a good time? Certainly not mine!

I am sorry to say, that when I heard of this whole thing, I was releived, Yes Releived, I broke down & cried & cried, FINALLY UNDERSTANDING, AT LAST SWEET SWEET UNDERSTANDING....................................

Christine Carlton-Apple

Erin,

I should have started my last post with showering you with gratitude & blessings.

In my last (& only) post I started off by saying that we lived with-in 10 mls of the facility for over 10 yrs.

I meant to say TWO MILES, WE LIVED UNDER 2 MLS OF THE FACILITY FOR OVER 10 YRS.

My health makes me overly rushed at things like this.
I cringed at that mistake & I really haven't proofed it for mistakes, never mind the spelling.

There is the pressure of the teenager & the call of the illusive computer on-line games. Ha. I can only hope that childhood epilepsy that he out grew is the extent of Rocketdyne/Boeing abomination results.

I can't imagine dying with this poison coursing through my veins, because I have lived with it.......
I am so afraid, I cannot begin to express this nightmare that I have lived in & feel like I am just finding out that I am not going to wake up from this one.

May you have the power to keep doing what you do so, so well.

God Bless You.

Christine Carlton-Apple

PS I didn't go into the abnormal & massive bone deteriorations that I've lived with. There are too many to go into.

I moved away from Simi Valley after 1988, and grew up there from 6/65-6/88. Once lived right below Rocketdyne in the 70's, ,in 89 I had a misscarriage due to cysts in my uterus in 99 had a hysterectomy.In 9/07 I discovered I have breast cancer and have just finished chemo and radiation thearpy. No one else in our family that lived in other states or elsewhere in the state had this happen. Is there any recourse on this matter. I haven't been able to work for almost a year now. Sincerely, Rosemary Stanley