ACAAI, Dr.Bardana, US Chamber, PACs, Insurance, Pharmaceutical Mfg & US Courts.

[Guest guest]

Sick Building Syndrome

Grace Jang

Created: 11/11/11/11/<WBR>2009 10:19

_http://www.ktva.com/ci_13768367_ (http://www.ktva.com/ci_13768367)

" Marilyn Coppe says work made her sick. 'I became very ill Oct. 3, 2003 as

a result of the exposure of the workplace, " Coppe said. Turns out, Coppe

is not alone......According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 3 in 10

new and remodeled buildings are making workers sick world-wide....

'Dizziness, lack of concentration, difficulty breathing, upper chest pain,

joint

pain, and it only happened at work, " Coppe said.... According to EPA, some

common causes of sick building syndrome are inadequate ventilation, chemicals

from carpets, copy machines, cleaning products and from vehicle exhaust and

biological contaminants from bacteria and mold, which can be found in

stagnant water, ceiling tiles and insulation. "

Allergists' " non-profit " awards Dr. Emil Bardana for years of selfless

service

On November 8, 2009, at their annual scientific meeting, Dr. Emil Bardana

received the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's (ACAAI)

2009 Gold Headed Cane award for his integrity in science.

The award is " designed to serve as an inspiration to younger doctors and

encourage them in their family, social, civil, religious and professional

lives. "

Not disclosed by ACAAI when describing Dr. Bardana's 20 year history as a

leader among the " non-profits " that influence the practices and protocols

among allergists, is Dr. Bardana's long and prosperous career as an expert

witness on behalf of many insurers and employers who deny their sick

buildings are a cause of illness.

According to Gold Headed Cane recipient, Dr. Bardana, " Toxic mold

syndrome represents the furtive evolution of aeroirritation from a transient to

permanent symptom complex in patients with a psychogenic predisposition. In

this respect, the core symptoms of toxic mold syndrome and their gradual

transition to chronic symptoms related to nonspecific environmental fragrances

and irritants appear to mimic what has been observed with other

pseudodiagnostic categories, such as sick building syndrome and idiopathic

chemical

intolerance. " Inhalational mold toxicity: fact or fiction? A clinical review

of 50 cases " Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2005 Sep;95(3):239-46.

The 50 cases for Dr. Bardana's study that concluded sick buildings were

not the probable cause of symptoms were patients referred to allergists

chosen by defense attorneys in mold litigations. The results for the study

were

then based on the hired defense expert allergists' independent medical

exams (IME) that were written specifically in defense of moldy building

stakeholders involved in the litigations.

Concluding the symptoms to be psychological or idiopathic in origin and

not caused by the buildings, the patients were not advised to leave the sick

buildings to lessen or eliminate their symptoms by the IME physician. With

continued exposure to a potential location of causation of illness,

continued medications for control of symptoms are required.

Sponsorship for Dr. Bardana's Gold Headed Cane award was provided by Merck

Company, manufacturer of Singulair allergy and asthma medication.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M_OtwEgZgAk/Sn5MOJ7B2eI/AAAAAAAADK0/6PTcMu864xY/s1600\

-h/S

GP-New-MRK.jpg) Singulair is Merck's top-selling product for the ever

increasing incidence of idiopathic asthma and allergy in the United States. In

2008, Merck's gross sales for Singulair was $4.3 billion. Sales expected

to be reported in 2009 are, and $4.4 billion to $4.7 billion range.

According to Berkeley Lab, EPA studies confirm there is a large public

health and economic impact of dampness and mold. They estimate that number of

asthma cases attributable to exposure in home settings alone is 4.6 million,

at $3.5 billion annual cost.

In 2005, Masson of KATU News in Portland, Oregon, reported on an

extensive investigation of Dr. Bardana's work as an expert witness for the

state's workers compensation fund, SAIF. The expose' was entitled " Dealing with

SAIF and feeling like a criminal " . With permission of KATU News, the

following video of Dr. Bardana's work on behalf of the defense in mold

litigation may now be viewed on the Internet.

_http://www.blip.tv/file/2830582/_

(http://www.blip.tv/file/2830582/)

(http://www.blip.tv/file/2830582/)

Dr. Bardana's understanding of illness caused by sick buildings that ACAAI

and Merck Company advised young allergists to emulate is consistent with

the teaching of the US Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform.

(ILR). In a policy paper of ILR titled " A Scientific View Of The Health Effects

Of Mold " , 2003, the ILR promotes that science holds all claims of illness

from the toxins of molds found in sick buildings are a merely a result of

" trial lawyers, media and junk science " .

_http://www.blip.tv/file/2756814/_ (http://www.blip.tv/file/2756814/)

However, the ILR " Scientific View " cites false authorship of being

written by a physician. According to the billing records of the actual author,

Bruce Kelman PhD, he and his business partner, Hardin PhD Retired

Deputy Director NIOSH, they were the only parties commissioned by the Manhattan

Institute Center for Legal Policy (CLP) to write the ILR paper specially

for judges. The physician who is listed as an author of the ILR paper has

stated under oath that he had nothing to do with it and did not even know he

was listed as an author.

The US Chamber ILR and the Manhattan Institute CLP are the leading voices

of commerce and industry who promote the need for tort reform within the

legal system. Apparently providing the courts with a medical " education "

that falsely claims to be the advice of physicians would not be an area in

need of legal reform according to these voices of commerce.

The commissioned science of US Chamber ILR makes its way into litigations

via amicus curie briefs of political action committees such as the National

Apartment Association on behalf of defendants in mold litigations.

It adds an air of legitimacy to a litigation defense argument by stating “

In a report entitled, ‘A Scientific View of the Health Effects of Mold’,

a panel of scientists, including toxicologists and industrial hygienists

stated that years of intense study have failed to produce any causal

connection between exposure to indoor mold and adverse health effects. U.S.

Chamber

of Commerce, A Scientific View of the Health Effects of Mold (2003) at p.

64 and p. 65″.

Contrary to what PAC's tell the courts, there was no " panel of scientists "

that authored the scientific view of the US Chamber of Commerce ILR for the

purpose of influencing judges in toxic torts. Only two owners of a

litigation defense support corporation, VeriTox, Inc, with no research

background

in mold authored the paper, Mr. Kelman and Mr. Hardin.

Mr. Kelman comes to the mold issue circa 2000 from Big Tobacco. He and

other co-owners of his company are also prolific expert witness for the

defense in mold litigation throughout the United States, just like ACAAI award

winner, Dr. Emil Bardana.

Past clientele of Mr. Kelman's company, VeriTox, Inc, includes the United

States Department of Justice under former Atty General Alberto .

VeriTox was retained by the DOJ when defending against financial liability

for claims of illness by sick children living in moldy military housing.

_http://www.blip.tv/file/1179698/_ (http://www.blip.tv/file/1179698/)

In 2006, the late Senator Kennedy requested that the Federal

Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit the scientific understanding of

the

health effects of mold. The late Senator asked that the Federal GAO

determine " What medical and scientific standards are used in determining the

admissibility of evidence of both acute and persistent health consequences

resulting from exposure to mold? Which individuals and organizations have

promulgated these standards and what, if any, conflicts of interest exist

regarding these standards? "

However, this aspect of the Federal audit was later deleted from the

investigation. As a result, there was no mention of the influence of interests

of sick building stakeholders, such as insurers, employers and manufacturers

of asthma medication in the final GAO report, issued September 2008.

I would propose the biggest health threat to the American public caused by

sick buildings stems from insurance industry, pharmaceutical industry, US

Chamber of Commerce and other large PACs lobbying dollars that freely flow

down both sides of the isle in Washington, DC to unduly influence the

influential while allowing deceptions in science to flourish.

_http://www.blip.tv/file/1179464/_ (http://www.blip.tv/file/1179464/)

Mrs. Sharon Noonan Kramer

2031 Arborwood Place,

Escondido, CA 92029

_snk1955@..._ (mailto:snk1955@...)

Disclosure:

I have a degree in the science of marketing. In 2005, I was the first to

publicly write of the relationship of the US Chamber, the Manhattan

Institute, VeriTox, Congressman and medical associations in the

mass

promotion of misinformation meant to instill judicial bias in the courts when

overseeing mold litigation. Mr. Kelman sued me for libel, claiming the

phrase " altered his under oath statements " was a malicious accusation of

perjury.

Since September of 2005, I have been providing the San Diego courts with

uncontroverted evidence that Mr. Kelman has been committing perjury as to

why I would harbor malice for him. SEVEN San Diego judges and justices have

now overseen the case purportedly about the word " altered " .

To date, all have ignored my uncontroverted evidence that a plaintiff has

been using criminal perjury on the issue of malice to prove he was

maliciously accused of being one who would commit criminal perjury. This, in a

matter involving public health policy and environmental litigation throughout

the United States.

_http://www.blip.tv/file/2007248/_ (http://www.blip.tv/file/2007248/)

Among the San Diego justices involved in the matter who has refused to

acknowledg uncontroverted evidence of Mr. Kelman's perjury, is Justice Judith

McConnell. Justice McConnell chairs the Judicial Review Committee

overseeing all judges for the state of California. She is the Presiding Justice

over the Fourth District Court of Appeals, Division One, San Diego.

One could stand me up at the Gates of Hell, and I will not back down or be

silenced about my professional view of the health effects of GOLD that

markets it way and continues to cause a national disgrace in US public health

policy.