Kennedy, Walsh join anti-mold talks

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Pepperell Free Press

Kennedy, Walsh join anti-mold talks

By Don sson Friday, October 15, 2004 - PEPPERELL --

The offices of U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy have joined those of Massachusetts Sen.

n Walsh and Boston City Councilor Maura Hennigan in opening dialogue with

lobbyists for House Bill 1268 sponsored by Michigan Congressman Conyers

Jr. to protect homeowners from toxic molds, Pepperell mold

sufferer-turned-activist said this week.

The bill is aimed at establishing national home purchase covenants similar to

asbestos and lead paint laws.

Walsh is Assistant Majority Leader in the State House. Kennedy sits on the

Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee known in the Capitol circles as

the Health Committee.

, who became ill from mold in her Pepperell home, has just returned from

lobbying legislators in Washington D.C. regarding passage of Conyers' bill.

She has also accepted presidency of Mold Relief Inc., a national non-profit

organization that helps victims of pervasive mold who are forced for health

reasons to leave their property.

She said some of her colleagues had a two-hour conference with Kennedy's

staff. One colleague is Mulvey son, a mold activist and one of 300

sufferers who have complained to the City of Boston over mold conditions in City

Hall that caused them health problems.

Mulvey son has worked with Conyers, a ranking member of the House

Judiciary Committee, for three years. She said the recent lobbying effort

attracted

the support of Rep. Rangel, ranking member of the House Ways and Means

Committee, and opened the door to communications with Kennedy's committee

staff.

" We met with three doctors on the committee, which is huge as far as getting

their ear, " Mulvey son said Monday. " The door is open and conversations

will continue.

" One of our goals as citizens is to try to get complimentary legislation on

the Senate side and hopefully we can get Kennedy's help, " she said.

She and fellow lobbyists convinced Senator Walsh to develop citations that

were handed out to participants that included celebrities such as Bianca Jagger,

a mold-induced asthma sufferer and former wife of rock star Mick Jagger.

" I was hearing from people that it took great leadership to offer that [the

citations], " she said. " This is one of the things Conyers suggested we do, push

this effort forward in a grass roots way. "

Mulvey son had been chief of staff for Hennigan, who has asked the city

council to conduct a hearing possibly in December about the Washington, D.C.

campaign. The hearing will be open to the general public and expects to

be one of the speakers.

" It's important for Boston to be in the forefront because the city is a Mecca

for health care, guidance, and assistance and I know they're not on top of

this as best they can be, " Mulvey son said.

She said one of the national difficulties regarding mold-induced sicknesses

is that doctors don't know the symptoms and are not being given proper

direction to look into the illnesses. They often prescribe Prozac, which, she

said, is

an insult to those who are sick.

" We're luckier now than when people were dealing with asbestos and lead paint

because we have quick communications, " she said. " I'm hoping this will move

forward quickly. "

said she is still suffering recurring infections from the use of

steroids prescribed to counteract the several types of asthma she acquired

before

she was forced to move out of her ee Road, Pepperell home. The steroids,

she said, have depleted her bone density yet she hasn't been able to reduce her

dosage.