Ch 17 Reports

Concern for quite some time in Niagara Falls. For many that love that park landfill. Tonight we'll examine residents concerns about those findings. Take a look at what human body tuts tuts a chemical that's ever been made by a. Byproduct an unintentional when a particular herbicide called for fries. One part of me one of the. Symptoms and this is. Me.

With It. About dioxin psychological depression and the loss of another liver disease and a person may be out of this that if you did live. Them. You would see that there was an abnormal problem here we're talking about risks of human imagination. Let me try to give you some sense of feel of the order of magnitude of the

risks involved. The most toxic known chemical to mankind which is a bacterial product is brought to Linus. And as you heard from various episodes of food poisoning of all over the world. But the toxicity of this is in the trillion range. But your line dioxin is approximately 130 acute toxicity not your line of an out of this style will kill five million guinea pigs. Yes that could be a result could be a result of the concentration of parts pretty. I think you have to mourn. Death. As a byproduct of the herbicide used widely by the US Army to devour Vietnamese jungles Vietnamese villagers oxen and how toxic it was and that it was always present in

higher amounts. Extensive taxes claimed were coming from extensive study was made that was causing the US population the most. Something like that. We're used to something like 10 percent of the total total evidence indicating suggestive evidence

and spinal bifida that spinal cord factors also been apparent after numerous chemical factory explosions in the U.S. and Europe. This Italian factory exploded in 1976 with disastrous results. He was released and immediately the people in the area committee were trying to decontaminate the area. Animals try to decontaminate some of these workers. Each. Dan was kept burning the worker

exposed in the skin reaction. This is deep and it's very disfiguring so disfiguring that some people can't work when their. Son was showing up in the dust of the school and they amount to much larger. I'm concerned what's happening. If I wanted to I was wearing

the shoes on the side to the point of the sing in the song. It's not just. To some of the workers or the people in a similar plant explosion occurred in Germany in 1953 and resulted in death or permanent injuries for some of the workers. It was closed for about five years as a team of men went in to clean up the place and repair equipment. And the men that went in to clean up the equipment to repair it subsequently died. How how toxic it can perhaps be be realized in this particular plant one of the workers the driver went home in the stream and clamped one of the workers went home and his son used the towel that he

used and promptly got at a fraction of the skin from it it takes very very small amounts. A 1963 plant explosion in Holland also caused death and promoted injuries this time to members of the cleanup crew. The pot was magically sealed. And ofter that 14 professional ship cleanness were brought in these people who are having this very special experience and decontaminating they were gotten to decontaminate the plant. Now what happened in the next 10 years is very interesting. All these 14 men I went in to clean the place up 10 subsequently died from delayed toxicity in the remaining and subsequent 10 yes. And of the remaining fall now are also sick that they cannot work. Love Canal picketers this week are protesting cleanup procedures they say could lead to further spreading of dioxin. The area residents want evacuation for at least 54 families experiencing health problems.

There's a high rate of kidney and bladder problems. There is a very high incidence of emphysema and respiratory problems. In my case my daughter with her last week my son passed out in the street they didn't know what to try to tell me is due to his sugar condition he had a sure blood sugar reading of 85 at the time he was checked out brought home the next day he went to see my doctor. He did blood on him the next day he got results back so everything's normal He's beautiful. The next morning four o'clock in the morning he started throwing up what had acidosis and he's been in the hospital ever since and they've run about 70 blood test and they don't understand why because normally sure goes high with acidosis but it did in this case. How is it affecting my wife as problems my other son has problems. I lost a fraction of a kidney since I lived in this area. I know that the my children have nonspecific eye or Titian's. Non-specific headaches they cannot be determined origin cannot be determined. They did not have

them before we moved into this house seven years ago. What about yourself. I have cancer and I'm wondering how far those chemicals are going to accelerate that growth. I want out of here. I don't want to die here. How many families are there amongst the ranchers in a similar situation. I would say at least half of the population. There's about 19000 people 900 I'm sorry people in that area and at least half of them are severely ill. Six persons were arrested in Love Canal Monday during picketing at the four entrances to the fenced in Canal Zone. This woman had a baby carriage there with a doll and I just say she had a baby at home and she would bring it out to the side. I bent down and was talking to this doll in the carriage and the woman was answer me in her voice what the baby thought and the officer asked me to move. Once I disregarded his requests

he asked me to move again and at that time the car was around me and I still. Refused to move. The third time he asked me he told me if I didn't move I would be arrested which I didn't and I was arrested. They had arrested Chuck Bryant and they were had I'm up against a fence they were saying if he had anything on him. And when I stopped they grabbed me and they said I was under arrest and put me in the police car. I do want to make the point that the trucks that we stopped I stopped to in particular were not going to cross our picket. They were going to respect us. They said they had no quarrel with us. They were not going to take us. The police arrested us and in arresting us dispersed our picket line and waved the trucks through. The round. State health department official came to love canal to repeat the weekend's announced discovery of dioxin at the site. By the State Department to us from a love canal

trench dioxin has detected minute quantities of the substance. Dr. Robert Whalen state health commissioner said today state health department scientists were working over the weekend to confirm the findings Dr. once said the sample was taken from a trench being dug in connection with a remedial construction work at the canal to halt the further migration of chemicals. Dr Boylan said there is no evidence to indicate that the trace amounts of dioxin found in the leech 8 0 is an immediate halt as are to residents of the area. I quote him again. We are naturally concerned over finding dioxin but it does not come as a surprise nor does it cause us to change our position or make any any further recommendations at this time particularly in view of the small amounts. The commissioner said the discovery of action in amounts of between four and 17 parts per

trillion confirms our earlier assumption and public expression that we would expect to find it after detecting the presence of Tarik. I've seen all this substance use widely in the manufacture of herbicides. How does affect the heart. The ice for you my lord you know the system of the Body Hunters are supposed to but you know I don't know yet who does know and it will be part of your state there are a number of Dr. Axelrod. Here. Could this person be brought here to answer this but he was there the night. I think time will tell. That's the answer that I will. Next another toxic chemical are caught right now everybody knows what botulism and this is dioxin is one little tiny step lower the botulism and it's not good but there's no cure for that one. Your wife nor any of the employees here living here.

They found that and I want to not because I already got one today. I hear virtually every day in the week with my friends you know what your white children Larry I was going to. Burned while being affected my job I have cancer. I'm going to do it a way. What are you going to do with that known trick. You know people like that but I don't know actually. What. It.

Looks. Like. You know I. Feel.

Loose. Earlier that morning around seven nuclear waste systems on site workers were briefed on dioxin and had a chance to ask questions about the toxin. What percentage do you have to take in new or used for any kind of reaction to it. The first is I understand the first symptom that you see is that for acne and need be in Sudan and Italy and incidentally it can. It was an explosion in a factory literally exploded and there was much more X and it was spread all over the unit. It was much higher than it is here. I don't know how much and it varies a lot. Some people are sensitive to your shoes than other people. Were your questions answers. Would someone know that we had enough time to think of what we wanted to do. What's going through your mind right

or they're not being honest with us. Do you feel nervous about going back to work not yet. Have you had any physical effects at all. Someone mentioned that they thought you had a rash. Yeah but I'm sure it was from. What type of rashes. Just the racial slur thing. I don't think I've ever right now. I have to go to the doctor this afternoon. RAZ What we learn more at this point you're not nervous. No. We're scared to move things are going to do you think the state might be lying to you know not sure that's possible. John little concern for the workers safety is a major concern of the picketing homeowners new clothes on site manager says the discovery of dioxin is no cause for a change in safety procedures.

Well I think the people that started this whole project took a long hard look at what they might run into and men have been prepared for just about any. Eventualities they're outfitted with the finest safety equipment of all kinds and that the dioxin. Discovery was not going to you know was. Not expected to change anything you know. Does the discovery of skin rashes on a couple of your workers cause any concern for you at all. Well we we want to make sure pursue how these events occurred and try to prevent the recurrence. And the men have been sent to Roswell for examination to make sure to try to identify the cause and whatever. Do you feel that more stringent safety measures are less. Present in the soil. I think some more safety precautions might be in order. Because we have to worry about the

mud and the dirt out of the area. They should put a greater priority on covering the area with a place. To present for the migration of the soil. The workers change what they wear on their seat not go home with the same footwear stringently but it should be. We have. Is it true that some measures to prevent this from becoming a problem one thing we did is we have asked the truck operators to clean their trucks off site before they arrive in the morning. We must remember too that some of the material are talking about could have been brought from the site where they're getting the gravel and sand for example. So the trucks might have some dirt before they arrive. But in any event we also we put a clean coating on the road to use in a site by the trucks a cleanskin code. We felt the road was ok but just to allay any concerns about possible contamination we have put a several inch layer of gravel

on the roads that these trucks use. Thirdly we do have some equipment on site to rinse tires before trucks leave if they should pick up any material that's being installed today. What about the work crews do they seem to be following the prescribed procedures. They don't seem so to me at all. I hear them working. I hear machinery running on almost constantly. The buses which are supposed to be there the whole time they're working and I supposed to be there to evacuate us in case of an explosion. I've gone at six. We don't see the hazard aspect of the project. We're simply digging trenches in rather clean soil for early remove from the canal itself. I know that operations when they do extend in the evening are trying to get this job done as soon as possible for the overall safety of everyone involved.

Three arrests were made during early picketing Wednesday amid grumbling that protesters aren't being supported by the 239 families already evacuated. I'm very disturbed that the people from the inside because now that they've moved out of the area you know these people were here in body and force and here in the first two rings. Now when it comes time for 3 4 5 etc. There's nobody here to help these people. I made over 100 phone calls today and I got about six positives and I don't believe any of those six came away. Thursday is picketing and remedial work stopped briefly a striking NFT Metro bus drivers caused a shortage of emergency evacuation standby buses later that morning the New York Public Interest

Research Group held a news conference in the wake of Wednesday's announcement that dioxin also exists at another hooker landfill. The first thing into the Lord. The second thing that we're calling for is that the documents which Hooker Chemical Corp. has provided to state and federal authorities detailing which chemicals and in what amounts they are landfill than love can now 100 second Street. Hyde Park directs site in North Tonawanda and the X site on their own property. He made it immediately available to the public so the public can use that information in public policy decision making. Was the discovery of high quantities of dioxin a Todd Park a surprise that the Ortiz we had consulted who are private authorities experts in dioxin dioxin specifically outlined to us that they would be extremely surprised if dioxin was not discovered. So while we were shocked it was not totally unexpected but the levels were very very high and that's really what took us back to levels

and levels and bloody run essentially were thousand times higher roughly than the levels that were discovered in the Love Canal drainage ditches. My purge request has had no effect on construction channel 17 reports contacted Governor Jerry and Congressman LaFalce whose offices for their views on the discovery of dioxin and the picketing at Love Canal neither official responded. The state's attitude is one thing they're following a blind political dictate on x number of people will be moved. And if we can't protest and wake the people up to the fact that is messy enough to kill every man woman and child on the East Coast. It will get we have to immerse in a new thing and use some common sense you cannot follow a blind political dictate before election time. Promises were made promises were carried out partially before the election after the election. Things have come to a standstill so to me it was simply a political plot to get Kerry and other governmental officials elected. Now that that has been done there

is no kind of help at all available for the people. And I feel that we've been used. Do you feel beetroot. Yes I do. All of the ranchers been treated I think and I know that the renter's has really been discriminated against because they are poor. And I think our constitutional rights has been denied. If every criminal is guaranteed legal assistant when a crime is committed commit it. But organization and the people in the LaSalle development had to has had to face this crisis without legal assistance. What is your concern for your clients now that some are being arrested during their protests. Well the protests themselves are to a certain extent out of my control it's a question of ultimate frustration at this point.

This is been going on for a number of months. The news instead of getting better is if anything has gotten worse and I think the people are pretty much through with attempting to reason with the state and they're trying to point out in the most effective way possible that time is of the essence and that something has to be done and that's led them to protest and hopefully it won't escalate to a pitched battle or anything of that sort. What do you plan to do now. My God common sense dictates only one thing we can know. Hey I would be remiss is apparently fighting with my my children out of the year. Fact is if I'd normally brought my children on a chemical dump the state would prosecute me for endangering my life and my children's life for child abuse. We're going to continue to pick up and do whatever outs we feel necessary in order to get the state to give help to us. We feel that our ill should be moved relocated. We feel that the elderly should be dealt with that way. They

should have priorities. This is our feelings. And also people who choose to remain in the area. We feel that they should be compensated for their losses awesome. Of course health losses could never be compensated for but at least do something for those people. They did that X to be placed in that situation. How far would you say your group is prepared to go all the way until Governor Kerry does appear. Our son's a responsible man to get in touch with Mrs. Gibbs and tell her what he is going to do with this area. This area is contaminated we know all of this. The state knows it. The federal government knows it but they have done nothing to come to the aid of these people. What's the next step now evacuation. It's got to be. It's too many sick people here and with their acts and thoughts which Warner and some other chemicals in the radiation. This is just no place to live.