The Brockovich Report

I'm about to visit the Asopos River. You may have heard of it; it is that river in Greece that has been in the news lately. I've talked about it before. It provides toxic tap water to tens of thousands of people, who have been getting sick and dying. Perhaps they should start calling it the red river, because now, because of the toxins, it runs red. That red is a potent reminder of all the people who have fallen victim to its waters.

The Chromium 6 content is over 400,000 times the amount that should be in groundwater. Of course, this is just one of the lethal cocktails that makeup the river. 85 industries have been operating and polluting along the river with no supervision, since the Greek government had designates the Asopos not a river, but a "sludge tube!" How would you feel about having no water source except a sludge tube?

But I have news. I received this email from Carol Kalin, of the U.S. Embassy in Athens:

Here is the letter:

Dear Ms. Brockvich,

Carol Kalin, Spokesperson

So I looked into it.

AP tells us that last week a probe exposed 10 firms which have been dumping chemical waste into the Asopos. There is bad news and good news. Bad that manufacturers have been dumping, good that they have been caught red handed. In fact, they have been heavily fined, and their licenses revoked. At this stage of the investigation, more violators are expected to be discovered. Officials are searching for secret waste disposal pipes.

I applaud the Greek government, who is finally doing something, and the Greek Minister of Environment who is leading the way.

Environment and Public Works Minister Giorgos Souflias announced the following measures are planned:

• The construction of a drainage network to channel toxic waste from local manufacturers away from the river

• The creation of a new irrigation network to supply residents of Oinofyta, Tanagra and Avlida with water from the River Mornos

• Two pollution-measuring stations in Oinofyta and in eastern Attica to monitor the presence of toxic substances in the river water.

• The delineation of “protected zones” in the area of the Asopos River

• Stricter restrictions on the activities of local manufacturers

• Harsher penalties for offenders.

Local officials want regular inspections and monitoring of water quality, a cleanup effort, and "staff boosts" to get the ball rolling.

So when I go back, I might even take a side tour and visit Kifissos River and Lake Koroneia. I'd like to take a look around there, where in spite of twenty-four million in funding, the lake protection project has been delayed--and two hundred birds were recently found there, dead. I wonder why.

When I go to Greece, I don't expect to see a perfect river. But I am looking forward to seeing those bulldozers I read about in action or some other sign of clean up. There is a tough road ahead, but the hardest one--acknowledging the problem, has already begun.

I can't wait to congratulate the Friends of the Earth, Giorgos Souflias, the locals and all the others who have worked so hard to bring awareness about this crucial issue. Most importantly, if everyone does their part, there will be a reward at the end of the day; and that will be when the people of Oinofyta, Tanagra and Avlida will have healthful, clean tap water, and the waters of the Asopos River again run sweet.

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Posted In: Saving the Environment

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The AP had a story today talking about the FDA looking into lead levels in lipstick.

Lead is a known carcinogen that is absorbed through the skin, and accumulates in the bones, causes neurological damage, behavior abnormalities, leg cramps, muscle weakness, numbness and depression. Among other things.

Lead in lipstick. Does anyone else find this as disturbing as I do?

This is especially troubling when compounded with this comment from John Bailey, an executive vice president at the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association.

"Consumers are exposed daily to lead when they eat, drink water and breathe the air....The average amount of lead a woman would be exposed to when using cosmetics is 1,000 times less than the amount she would get from eating, breathing, and drinking water that meets Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards."

I would like to say to John Bailey that he needs a serious attitude adjustment.

Frankly, it is irrelevant how much lead consumers are exposed to when they eat, drink and live. Because some of that exposure is out of our control. In fact, if so much lead is in the environment, it is even more crucial that companies which produce consumables become ever more diligent about NOT contributing to the problem of lead intake since it accumulates in our bones.

There are some things we cannot control. We cannot control death and taxes. We cannot control evil things other people say. We cannot control how much lead happens to occur naturally. We cannot control our immediate exposure when in transit, when in areas contaminated by pollutants, or exposure when we don't even know the contaminant is around.

Ingestion and dermal absorption are primary ways we take in lead. (I don't think inhalation applies here. I don't know anyone who snorts lipstick.)

Ingestion matters--because we do apply lipstick to our mouths. If we didn't ingest lipstick, why are lipstick and lip gloss available in flavors?

And dermal absorption. Science has recognized the skin's ability to absorb lead compounds since the 1940's. I looked it up. If you want to learn more about it, google this phrase: "The ability of the skin to absorb certain organic lead compounds." You will find an EPA document that talks about "How Lead Gets Into People."

Oh, and I don't want to leave out in utero exposure. It's not one I thought about, but it's mentioned in that EPA document. And it is important, since, I suspect pregnant women do wear lipstick.

Now I'm not saying I believe makeup companies are handing us sticks of pure lead to color our lips. I'm just saying it is their responsibility to avoid putting poisons into our lipstick. And our foundation. And all our makeup, for that matter. And surely, it is not responsible to make light of it.

And be happy I'm not talking about all of the lethal solvent thingees and other nasties that do go into makeup.

As I started to say a paragraph ago, there are a few things we can control. One element we can control is what we buy. So I politely ask Mr. Bailey not to advocate putting poisonous ingredients into something millions of women rub on to their lips. You may be willing to advocate an allowable lead intake for your wife or your daughter's lipstick, but you do not speak for me. Because, Mr. Bailey, I am not a generic consumer. No one is a generic consumer. We are all daughters, or wives or mothers, and we are perfectly willing to vote with our wallet, and go without makeup.

As far as lipstick goes, if the choice is to go red or lead-free, is there really a choice?

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Posted In: Domestic

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You know the old test for mine safety--sending a
canary down into the tunnels. If the canary died, the
air wasn't safe. The canary is just one indicator
that people have observed to check the habitability of
the environment.

So in the old days, we watched the canaries. Now we
watch the mussels.

I'm not talking about Hollywood muscles like those of
the esteemed governor of California. I'm talking
about the 300 different species of prolific little
freshwater bivalves that live in lakes and streams all
over the USA. At least, not too long ago, they were
prolific. And delicious. Maybe they're still
delicious, but there aren't as many of them.

Not any more.

35 of 300 known species of native mussels are extinct.

Mussels, like frogs, are indicators of environmental
health, because of where they are located on the food
chain, and because they are sensitive to environmental
contamination. Mussels are particularly susceptible
to ammonia, copper and especially to pesticide runoff.
Any presence of these items will reduce or eliminate
the mussel population. And think of all of the other
animals who feed on the mussels. That forces out not
just the mussel population, but those animals higher
on the food chain. As far as those higher animals go,
they either they find an alternate food source or they
die out.

Like mussels, animals which are sensitive to the
environment are environmental indicators, barometers
if you will, of the ecological health of a particular
ecosystem. You do have to look closely at what is
going on; some species which have disappeared are
local populations of established species which exist
elsewhere which may have lost their environment
through development. Some species have been supplanted
in their natural environment by the establishment of
some other non-native (foreign) species. But most of
them were lost because they are sensitive to the
presence of ammonia and copper in their watery
habitat.

It is not merely mussels which are endangered.

You know, there's a saying, "Frogs have it easy. They
eat what bugs them."

It's just a saying. Frogs are also on the serious hit
list. I know about dying frogs; they were dying in
Hinkley, sensitive to the Chromium 6 there. Frogs are
in trouble, but not just in Hinkley, and not just from
Chromium 6.

Across the country, frog populations are becoming
deformed. Scientists have been arguing about more
than one hypothesis for this odd development: whether
the deformities result from a parasite "TREMATODE"
which burrows into frogs when they are tadpoles and
corrupts development; or if the cause is a pesticide
called METHOPRENE.

Methoprene is a biopesticide which prevent insect
larvae from developing. It mimics a hormone that tells
frogs where their limbs should grow. (It's a serious
enough issue that the EPA's literature on this
chemical is continually being overhauled because they
too are very nervous about the science behind it. )
Frogs are also sensitive to environmental changes;
and--like I saw in Hinkley--when they go wrong, they
indicate something bigger. So if you're somewhere,
particularly near farmland, and you see a bunch of
frogs with extra legs, they either have the Trematode
parasite--or they've been exposed to Methoprene.

Actually, I'm going to talk about one more kind of
habitat endangerment. Up to now I've been talking
about chemicals and metals that intrude into an
ecosystem. But people intrude too. Physically.
Specifically, I am mentioning this because of an email
I received from a reader who is fighting to save
Mountain View Park from Mountain Bikes and two
wheelers.

I'm talking about physical intrusion. We're talking
about riding two/three/four wheelers in a protected
green area. Tire tracks are not green, people. Do
you really think that lobbying to keep a bike path is
protecting the sensitive ecosystem?

NOT.

Four wheeling sounds like fun...but it tears up the
land. Even mountain bikes. Tires cause all kinds of
erosion, and habitat destruction. Why should tires be
allowed in this park area where within a couple of
miles there is private property dedicated exclusively
to bikers? If you've already bought your vehicle of
choice and paid for the gas, and/or schlepped it to
the park, or if you've already carted your bike to the
area, why not pay a couple dollars to ride it in an
area dedicated to riders--instead of tearing up our
frail parklands? After all, we humans are only there
to enjoy nature. But nature itself is struggling to
survive.

Between dwindling undeveloped areas (let's face it,
nothing is untouched), chemicals poisoning our
forests, and outdoor adventurers who probably don't
even realize they're doing harm, how much chance for
survival do our indigenous species have? Isn't it up
to us to better their odds of survival?

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This isn't really a blog today, just some comments I'd
like to make in reply to some of the many people who
email me or comment on my blogs in various places-

To all of you who are trying to sell me medicines
online, and dirty movies. Thank you very much, but
no matter how much I wanted or needed either of these
items, I would not get them online from strangers,
especially those who can't spell.

Thank you very much for the offer to give me lots of
Nigerian money in return for cashing your check even
though your father/uncle/husband was deposed. Would
you consider trading this so-called check for a deed
to the Golden Gate bridge? If you want to do so, you
can meet me here:

4700 Ramona Blvd._Monterey Park, CA
(This is the LA County Sheriff's office.)

To the gentleman who wanted to send me the rocket
launcher. No thank you. Furthermore, I don't
particularly trust people who leave email addresses
end in .exe

To Pedro,

I'm sorry I don't speak Portuguese. I appreciate your
cheering for my work; and I didn't even realize that
the movie Erin Brockovich had been translated into
Portuguese.

To Roxanne:
I don't recall if it was Johnson & Johnson who set the
precedent for voluntary recall when that one bottle
had been tampered with in the 80's. I agree it
certainly is an example of "good customer relations."

To Infowars:
The entire public arena is not a dog and pony show. We
are a functioning democracy, still operating on the
principles established by the founding fathers, and we
are still adjusting to the fact that the modern world
has such a highly developed media. Certainly now it is
easier to disseminate candidates points of view than
it was in the 1790's, The government barely manages
to maintain the supervision which is legally
allocated to them. I do not believe that the
government controls everything; and anyone who does
believe that is suffering from paranoia. Listen
infowars, you better watch out. You're being followed,
your phone number is bugged and they are after you.
But, hey, even CIA and FBI employees need a job.

To Frank formerly from Alcoa,
I hope you find some kind of legal and medical
assistance or compensation, especially if your
perforated septum was related to your employment.
Best wishes.

Liam,
I hope sellers will eventually be able to trust
manufacturers; and I hope manufacturers will stop
embedding formaldehyde, lead, and other lethal
chemicals in their garments, not only here, but in New
Zealand. I wish there were easy solutions, but there
never are.

Panos and Sophia,
Hopefully the Greek government and the local
authorities will rethink letting another 300
industries the "privilege" of disposing of their waste
in Asopos. An industry park where they can pollute the
river without problems or checks from the state is a
bad idea, and hopefully it will fall now that the
decision is under supreme court examination

Pam,
Congratulations on your twin grandbabies.
I agree that the contaminated cloth is bad, and I
think with concern of the workers in China who handle
this deadly fabric 12 hours a day. Let's hope the
Chinese government will start caring for their own.

Gagan,
Sadly, Delhi is not the only place in the world where
decisions are influenced by bribes. There are many
countries on the African continent where bribes are
common place. Until doing the right thing becomes more
important than blood money, what can anyone do?

Trudy,
A healthy environment is a precious thing. An
unhealthy environment can--as in your case--affect
future generations. Maybe one day genetic testing will
be able to medically or genetically patch up the
damage in your children and grandchildren that was
committed directly or indirectly by the polluters who
wrecked your parents' health.

Christine,
I'm sorry about the bone problems (and others) that
you have had resulting from ten years residence near
the Santa Susana site.

Kerry,
Who knows why cuts were made. So much money must be
allocated to ensure tomorrow's pensions that today
suffers. Certainly I don't begrudge the government if
some offices move toward telecommuting practices if
that kind of economizing can save jobs, lower expenses
and the savings are used to increase productivity.
But is that what is happening? Cutting costs wisely is
one thing, but if cuts are made purely to keep to the
bottom line, without considering the consequences, the
Consumer Protection Agency will be having the same
kind of disasters as Brazil's aviation industry.

Lee,
All you can do is do your best to inform your head
office of the situation, and suggest ways they can be
proactive.

Janie!
That V-8 commercial is bothering me too! I just know
someone is going to bash someone else and blame it on
the commercial. What were they thinking? Do you think
they'll have a follow-up commercial where these
characters are being followed around by V-8 drinking
lawyers waiting to bring up assault charges?

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Posted In: Domestic

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