RE: [sick buildings] Digest Number 1249

June 24, 2002

Hello,

Out of desperation I think I need some advice. My husband and I have been

living out of our home for a year due to toxic mold. Our attorney is

working up demand packages against our insurance and realtor that listed the

home. We have mold in the roof that was caused by poor ventilation, and a

prior roof leak that a new roof went over on top of. None wants to pay for

this. Our attorney is doubtful that we will get anything because the

insurance we had excludes mold of any sort. Now our home mortgage company

is saying that we should just foreclose on the house and have HUD write it

off their insurance and we would not owe any more on the house. We have not

seen anything positive, and I don't know if I have good legal

representation or if this is how it goes. It seems to me that out of all

the inspections we had before buying, our insurance and no disclosures about

a prior roof leak that someone should be liable? If anyone has any advice

it would be most welcome. We live in the state of Washington and it seems

that here there have been no big cases won on mold situations.

Cheers,

May

-----Original Message-----

From:

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Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2002 4:23 AM

Subject: [] Digest Number 1249

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------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are 15 messages in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

1. Mold testing 'absolutely unnecessary'

From: " Barbara Herskovitz " <bherk@...>

2. Moldy home fix plan irks residents

From: bherk@...

3. Arbitration could prove costly for homeowners

From: bherk@...

4. Insurance official pays after flood

From: bherk@...

5. Insurance on homes in Florida could rise

From: bherk@...

6. Galindo Elementary Reopens Monday

From: bherk@...

7. Foal Illness Still Evident

From: bherk@...

8. Asthma Rates Rising Fast In One Community

From: bherk@...

9. Re[2]: RE: RE: Burning Belongings

From: Barth <pbarth@...>

10. RE: Ozone Generators

From: " Jeff and " <jeff@...>

11. The Sheppard Foundation

From: bherk@...

12. Fw: MAY 15, RFW'S STORM WARNINGS

From: bherk@...

13. Poison for Profit by Hotz

From: bherk@...

14. 's " The Compelling Anomaly of Chemical Intolerance "

From: bherk@...

15. Center for Public Integrity

From: bherk@...

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 1

Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 20:17:17 -0400

From: " Barbara Herskovitz " <bherk@...>

Subject: Mold testing 'absolutely unnecessary'

http://www.inman.com/InmanStories.asp?ID=30034 & CatType=R

Mold testing 'absolutely unnecessary'

Expert likens new homes to 1.4 million soggy sponges

Tuesday, May 14, 2002

By Marcie Geffner

Inman News Features

Washington, D.C.-Mold testing is in most instances absolutely unnecessary,

according to Dr. Yost, who addressed a standing-room-only audience of

Realtors here this afternoon at the National Association of Realtors

mid-year governance meetings.

Yost is a former medical doctor and a former home builder, who is now a

consultant and principal of Building Science Corp.

" Mold is only the symptom. Moisture is the problem. It is much easier to

find mold where moisture is or is likely to have been than it is to find

moisture by investigating for mold. Mold testing in most instances is

absolutely unnecessary and a waste of money, " Yost said.

What is needed is control of moisture, including rainwater, groundwater,

water supply lines and water vapor in the form of outside humidity produced

by the weather and indoor humidity produced by the day-to-day living

activities of the residents.

Yost debunked a number of myths about mold (e.g., windows leak more today)

and instead said the primary culprit is changes in the ability of modern

buildings to dry out. Homes being built today resemble a wet sponge left out

in the rain, Yost suggested, producing a sponge to demonstrate his point to

the audience.

Yost said building and owning a home that won't be a magnet for mold takes

proper design, proper construction, proper operation and proper maintenance

of the home, and a proper-meaning in large part fast-response to

moisture-intensive events. He also said builders need to give new homeowners

much more information about how the home was built and how it should be

maintained.

" Any builder who says he's building a 'maintenance-free' house is lying to

you, " Yost declared.

Yost opened his remarks by pointing out that a house is an interrelated

system of components and subsystems and that changing one component or

system can affect the rest of the building and be catastrophic.

" Some relatively simple changes in construction of homes in the last few

decades have caused catastrophic effects, " he said.

Part of the problem lies with building codes that are very specific about

requirements for home construction, but " don't deal at all with moisture as

it relates to climate, " Yost said. " We have to build differently in more

humid climates than we do in drier climates and most building codes by and

large do not take that into consideration. "

Another likely aspect of the problem is the lack of robust in-system testing

and evaluation of home components in relation to one another.

" There is virtually no information about how components used in a house

interact with one another or other systems in the house, " Yost said. " Nobody

tests the whole product. "

Changes in home construction since World War II have included insulating the

building envelope, adding forced air systems, creating cold surfaces due to

air-conditioning leading to condensation, introducing more processed organic

materials and adding new building products.

" Many of the (new building products) are good, but nobody has a clue how

they should be used with one another, " Yost warned. " We are doing field

experiments known as 1.4 million new houses each year. "

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 2

Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 20:21:36 -0400

From: bherk@...

Subject: Moldy home fix plan irks residents

http://www.sharon-herald.com/localnews/recentnews/0205/ln051402a.html

Moldy home fix plan irks residents

By Joe Pinchot

Herald Staff Writer

While one resident of Woodland Avenue was hostile at plans to alleviate a

drainage problem on his property, two others were merely skeptical.

The head of Mercer County Housing Authority said the proposal is not " a plan

of action. "

Executive Director L. DeWitt Boosel said he needs more information from the

engineering company and the results of mold testing before anything can be

decided.

Three residents attended a meeting Saturday in which Hickory Engineering

Inc., Hermitage, laid out the plan to install catch basins and drain pipe in

the rear yards, and regrade the front yards in the Wheatland neighborhood.

Gargiulo, housing planner for Community Homebuyers Inc., a nonprofit

affiliate of Mercer County Housing Authority, said he will meet with the

other two residents today.

CHI developed the homes, which were built in 2000.

All the homes are infested with mold, and some residents fear it might be so

intrusive that the houses would have to be gutted or destroyed. They blame

poor drainage for the mold.

Gazda of Home Inspections and Environmental Services, Baden, took

samples at all five houses Monday, and will submit them to a laboratory for

testing.

Gazda tested the Fraley house at 25 Woodland in February and found types of

mold that are more serious than the kinds people would generally be allergic

to.

CHI is paying for the tests, and would pay for construction to address the

drainage problem.

D.J. Stinedurf of 65 Woodland called the drainage proposal " a bunch of

bulls---. " Stinedurf is the son of Wheatland borough Councilman Don

Stinedurf and borough secretary Sharon Stinedurf.

Under the plan, a catch basin and the drainage pipe would be installed down

the middle of his back yard.

Stinedurf, who has been in his house for 13 months, said he wants to build a

deck and pool in his back yard.

" That's just not going to leave no room, " he said of the engineer's plan.

Stinedurf said he would want the work done at the rear of his property,

which is much lower than the level on which his house was built.

Stinedurf added his children's playhouse would have to be taken out. " You've

got plenty of room to go around that thing, " he said.

The residents also would have to sign right-of-way agreements allowing

workers to clean out the catch basins.

" I don't see why they need (an) 18 feet (right-of-way) for a 12-inch line, "

Stinedurf said.

Mark of 45 Woodland said the proposed solution to the drainage

problem is " fine, " but he's not satisfied with the amount of research that

has been done.

He said the answer to the question of whether the existing storm sewer

system was tapped into has changed over time.

said he was told Saturday that it was tapped into, but was given a

map that doesn't show it. said he wants the company to look in a

manhole to make sure.

" They're going to go by the blueprints and that's not good enough for me, "

he said.

Ron Fraley said the proposal " sounded like a good plan.

" It's better than what we had before. Might be too late, " he said, referring

to the mold.

Aside from Gazda, the authority brought in Microbac Laboratories of Erie in

an " advisory capacity, " Boosel said.

The authority has hired Microbac in the past for testing, particularly for

asbestos, but the firm is not conducting any tests on the Woodland homes,

Boosel said.

" We want to make sure that things are being handled to the owners'

satisfaction, " Boosel said of Mircobac's presence.

But Fraley said he believed Microbac was brought in " to butt heads " with

Gazda.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at jpinchot@...

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 3

Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 20:24:12 -0400

From: bherk@...

Subject: Arbitration could prove costly for homeowners

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/1411478

May 15, 2002, 8:25AM

Arbitration could prove costly for homeowners

By JANET ELLIOTT

AUSTIN -- Owners of mold-infested homes looking for their day in court are

finding that they must instead submit to an arbitration process that can be

costly.

" This system is a dead-end street for consumers, " said Dawn , the

owner of a $300,000 home she says is uninhabitable because of mold and

chemical contamination.

A judge has ordered and her husband to submit to arbitration

under the contract the couple signed when they purchased their new

custom-built home in Austin last year.

Although she has not yet gone through arbitration, said she is

opposed to it because of costly fees and the fact that any wrongdoing by the

builder won't be exposed to the public.

Arbitration is a private legal system designed to settle disputes. It

originally was developed to handle controversies between businesses that

didn't want trade secrets exposed in public forums.

Increasingly, consumers agree to submit disputes to binding arbitration when

they purchase goods ranging from computer software to mobile phones.

Arbitration clauses are written into employment and insurance contracts.

showed a picture of a rotten floorboard and discussed her story

at a news conference Tuesday. Other disgruntled homeowners will hold a rally

this morning before a meeting of the House Subcommittee on Binding

Arbitration.

The consumer group Public Citizen released a study showing that arbitration,

widely billed as a low-cost alternative to court, can be far more expensive

than filing a lawsuit.

According to the report, the filing fee for an $80,000 consumer claim in

Cook County, Ill., Circuit Court is $221. The American Arbitration

Association, one of several private companies providing arbitration

services, charges a filing fee of $1,250.

There also can be fees assessed for the arbitrator's time as well as for the

forum where the dispute will be heard.

" In requiring payment of these high fees up-front, arbitration destroys the

benefits of attorney contingency fee arrangements, which allow plaintiffs to

pursue cases without advancing funds, " said , legislative

counsel to Public Citizen.

said arbitration awards tend to be lower than jury verdicts.

said she believes that she and her infant daughter suffered

lasting neurological damage during the five weeks the family lived in the

home. The family has filed a lawsuit related to their young daughter's

injuries.

A judge has ordered Weekley Homes to advance the arbitration fees. But

if the family loses, it could be responsible for the costs.

Burchfield, general counsel for Weekley Homes, said he believes

has been " setting us up for lawsuits from day one. "

He said an attorney hired by the s sent a letter demanding $2.25

million.

Weekley Homes and the s disagree about whether the mold in the

home is toxic. Burchfield said the chemical emissions cited by

came from common building materials.

" The s refused to cooperate with repeated efforts to test, repair

and resolve their claims, " Burchfield said.

Arbitration may cost home buyers more up front, but can be less costly than

litigation and much more efficient, said Burchfield.

He said because the Federal Arbitration Act pre-empts state law for most

transactions, it would be difficult for the Texas Legislature to do away

with mandatory arbitration.

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 4

Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 20:27:12 -0400

From: bherk@...

Subject: Insurance official pays after flood

http://www1.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_1142317,00.ht

ml

Insurance official pays after flood

His home policy did not cover replacement value

May 12, 2002

The state's top insurance regulator got a dose of the drawbacks of cash

value insurance policies last fall when his golf course community in Austin

flooded.

Insurance Commissioner Montemayor spent $20,000 out-of-pocket to

replace his carpet, furniture and air conditioning equipment. His insurance

policy covered the depreciated value of his goods and not what it cost to

replace them.

" Most people are out of a lot of money (when their homes flood), " he

explained Friday as he passed through Corpus Christi.

Montemayor was quick to point out that no mold grew in his home and that he

hired a clean-up company to take care of it quickly.

" I did what I ask everybody to do, " he said.

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 5

Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 20:30:04 -0400

From: bherk@...

Subject: Insurance on homes in Florida could rise

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/nationworld/orl-asecinsure15051502ma

y15.story?coll=orl%2Dnews%2Dheadlines

Insurance on homes in Florida could rise

By Ostrow | Business Writer

Posted May 15, 2002

Rates may rise. (MARIANNE KOCH/ORLANDO SENTINEL)

May 14, 2002

Thousands of Central Florida homeowners could see their property-insurance

rates rise by double digits this year if the state's two largest insurers

get their way.

State Farm Florida Insurance Co. and Allstate Floridian Insurance Co. have

asked the Florida Department of Insurance for increases of more than 20

percent, blaming rising claims for sinkholes, mold damage and other

noncatastrophic events.

State Farm, which raised rates 14.3 percent in January, is asking for a

second statewide average increase of about 22 percent. If approved, the new

rates will kick in for policies renewing on or after July 15.

New State Farm customers will see the higher rates beginning today, though

their rates would drop if regulators reject the plan.

In Central Florida, State Farm wants to raise rates 13.2 percent in Orange

County, 17.6 percent in Osceola, 13.2 percent in Seminole, 27.9 percent in

Volusia and 3 percent in Lake.

Allstate asked the state in February for an average increase of 21 percent

statewide. The company would not say how each county would be affected.

The Insurance Department will decide whether to approve or reject the

requested increases within the next few months, department spokeswoman Tami

said.

Coastal residents will bear the brunt of the increase, Allstate spokeswoman

Kathy said.

Homeowners insurance rates -- in contrast to those for many commercial

properties -- are rising for reasons other than fallout from Sept. 11.

State Farm and Allstate cited an increased number of claims for

noncatastrophic events -- including mold, water damage and sinkholes -- as

the reason for the rate increases.

Also, across the nation, there has been an increase in the cost of building

materials and construction, as well as the number of lawsuits against

insurers for problems such as mold. Both make property insurance more

expensive for insurance companies.

" Losses have been going up, " State Farm spokesman Tom Hagerty said. " 2001

was a bad year. We saw an increase in the frequency of losses and the

severity of losses. "

State Farm is Florida's largest insurer, with about 980,000 policyholders

statewide.

To combat rising costs, of Allstate suggests, policyholders should

talk with their agents and ask about discounts or higher deductibles.

Homeowners nationwide are facing similar increases, said Rade Musulin,

chairman of the Florida Insurance Council.

" [Homeowners insurance has] been a product that has been very low-priced but

with generous coverage, " he said.

But now, insurance companies are paying out more in claims than they're

taking in from premium dollars, he said. And insurers' investment income,

which was used to supplement losses in the bullish 1990s, has dropped with

the stock market.

" It's definitely an industry issue, " said. " Some of our competitors

have pulled out of states and are not writing new business in certain

states. "

Greg Groeller of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report.

Ostrow can be reached at nostrow@... or 954-356-4667.

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 6

Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 20:40:48 -0400

From: bherk@...

Subject: Galindo Elementary Reopens Monday

Monday May 13 10:19 PM EDT

Galindo Elementary Reopens Monday

First mold, then flooding. Galindo Elementary hasn't been healthy since

March of 2001. That is starting to change. After months at different schools

and portables, the students are returning to class. Flooding caused the

campus to close down last August, so workers could fix the roof. Now

students and parents are looking forward to returning, even if it is only

for a few weeks. The 4th graders and the administration staff won't move

into their classrooms and offices until next school year.

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 7

Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 20:44:14 -0400

From: bherk@...

Subject: Foal Illness Still Evident

Foal Illness Still Evident

Wed May 15, 3:56 PM ET

By STEVE BAILEY, AP Sports Writer

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Duncan watched helplessly last spring as a

mysterious illness killed dozens of foals on his family's thoroughbred farm.

Some lived only for hours, if at all. Other mares miscarried.

" It was one of those things where you kept telling yourself, `It can't get

any worse.' Then it kept getting worse, " said , president of

Made Farm. " The fact that it was going on all over the region and nobody

knew what was causing it made it even more frightening. "

is far less anxious this year, knowing the illness is not as bad as

it was in 2001, when it claimed nearly 5 percent of the state's annual foal

crop and 20 percent of the foals that would have been born on Kentucky farms

this year.

A check of 74 pregnant mares at Made last May found more than a third

had lost their foals. Of the 400 pregnant mares there this spring, not one

has lost a foal to the disease, said.

" I'm not ready to say we've weathered anything, but I can say without

hesitation that I feel a lot better today than I did at this time last

year, " he said.

Kentucky typically produces about 10,000 foals annually, which represents

about 30 percent of North America's yearly thoroughbred foal population.

Numbers released this week by the University of Kentucky show a sharp

decline in the number of dead foals submitted to its Livestock Disease

Diagnostic Center this year.

From April 28 through Saturday, 173 foals of all breeds were delivered to

the center for examination, down from the 385 brought in during the same

period a year ago. About 120 of those submitted this year have had

characteristics consistent with the illness, Mare Reproductive Loss

Syndrome.

" A lot of the farms I work that had a lot of problems last year haven't had

any deaths year, and that's encouraging, " said equine veterinarian Chet

Blackey, who travels from farm to farm checking mares and foals. " But I've

heard of some other farms where as many as 50 or 60 percent of their mares

have been affected. "

Since the beginning of the year, the diagnostic center has received 697

equine abortions compared with 878 during the same period last year.

Area veterinary hospitals also are admitting fewer sick foals, and those

that are being treated are surviving at higher rates.

" It's down significantly from what we experienced last year, " said Dr. Bill

Bernard, internal medicine specialist at Lexington's Rood and Riddle Equine

Hospital.

" We're having a few trickle in - maybe one one day, two the next, then none

the next - that have symptoms consistent with the illness - weakness,

respiratory trauma and low blood glucose. "

Scientists still have not identified the cause of the illness, although a

likely culprit is the eastern tent caterpillar.

The fuzzy, black-and-yellow caterpillars, abundant across central Kentucky

each spring, feed on cyanide-laced wild cherry tree leaves, which are

poisonous to horses. Scientists believe the caterpillars and their

droppings, called frass, may somehow be passing toxin to the horses feeding

on contaminated grass.

Experiments conducted by Kentucky's College of Agriculture show there is a

likely correlation.

In the study, 29 pregnant mares housed at the university's research farm

were exposed to different levels of caterpillar infestation over 10-day

periods in small pens. More than 70 percent with exposure to caterpillars or

frass lost their pregnancies.

" That's been the first trial in which we've actually been able to replicate

the illness, " said university agronomist Jimmy Henning, who oversees

environmental sampling on 13 farms. " We haven't been able to do that in any

of our other tests. I'd say that makes it a little more than coincidental. "

Henning, however, is not ready to blame the caterpillar yet. He and other

researchers are looking at toxins in pasture grass, molds, bacteria and

fungi; other cyanide sources such as clover; and abnormal weather patterns.

said many farms, including his own, have taken steps to protect

against the illness.

Made sprayed for caterpillars, chopped down some cherry trees and is

one of the few farms to muzzle mares before they are sent out to pasture for

exercise.

" From the things I've heard, the farms that are having the most problems are

the ones that did very little as far as preventative management, " he said.

" We went into this year with a plan and tried some different things. To this

point, it's paid off for us. "

Still, said, it will be a long time before Kentucky's thoroughbred

industry approaches the breeding season without caution.

" Until we figure out exactly what caused it and how to fight it, it's going

to be a threat, " he said.

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 8

Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 20:48:08 -0400

From: bherk@...

Subject: Asthma Rates Rising Fast In One Community

Wednesday May 15 05:56 PM EDT

Asthma Rates Rising Fast In One Community

Asthma rates are on the rise, and new statistics from the city of Lowell

show some surprisingly high numbers among children.

NewsCenter 5's Rhonda Mann said that the Univeristy of Massachusetts in

Lowell along with Head Start have begun an innovative program to help

families breathe easier.

The city of Lowell has what experts call an asthma epidemic --especially

among kids.

" Many of these children live in older homes, where there's environmental

triggers, mold, dust, pest control issues, " UMass Lowell researcher ine

Ladebuche said. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell

surveyed families of 2 to 5 year olds. They found that 22 percent had

asthma -- that's about 20 to 50 percent higher than rates of similar

programs in other states.

At Lowell's Head Start program, 62 out of the 530 kids are asthmatic. The

nurses keep cabinets stocked with medication.

Two- year-old is a frequent visitor to the nurse's office for

nebulizer treatments.

" The days he's coughing they'll check him and see how he's doing and will

tell me what's going on, " 's mom, Cancel, said.

It's not just the smaller kids who are affected. Researchers also found that

15 percent of college kids here at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell

have asthma. That's about 35 percent higher than the national college

average.

The department of public health (news - web sites) has given the university

$140,000 to learn more about the causes of asthma and to help educate

families. One program sends nurses into the home to teach prevention.

" Like dust control and not letting the child have lots of stuffed animals,

we look at frequent laundering of the linens to eliminate dust mites, "

Ladeduche said.

So far, there's evidence that education is working.

" We have seen less children for acute asthma care here in the health office

this year, less emergencies in the office, so the parents seem to recognize

symptoms early, " Community Teamwork Inc., spokesman Eileen Gamache said.

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 9

Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 20:01:27 -0400

From: Barth <pbarth@...>

Subject: Re[2]: RE: RE: Burning Belongings

>>>If you answer is affirmative, then would you post the references to the

scientific

literature which proves that this process not only kills the mold, but also

denatures/destroys the mold's mycotoxins?

ph P. Klein, Sr.,M.D.<<<

=========================================

Dr. Klein, does anyone have an answer as to how viable the mycotoxins are

once the spores are dead? Once the spores are dead, there is no source

to produce the mycotoxins. Do the mycotoxins need a specific type of

host (such as mucous membranes or moisture) to remain viable? This

would make a big difference as to the effectiveness of any kind of

remediation.

Barth

NEW: TOXIC MOLD SURVEY: www.presenting.net/sbs/sbssurvey.html

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 10

Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 22:28:06 -0500

From: " Jeff and " <jeff@...>

Subject: RE: Ozone Generators

Jim:

I don't know if your post was in response to my message or the one that

appeared to be selling an Alpine Air unit. Just in case, I want to

clarify something...

Our service DOES use ozone generators; however, they are drastically

different -- for one, they use UV light, not electric plates, so there

is no nitrogen compounds released (e.g. nitric acid), only pure ozone.

Second, the units we use put out VERY high levels of ozone -- so high

that living things cannot be in the house. We wear Self-Contained

Breathing Apparatus to turn on and turn-off the units.

The EPA's report states that: " Available scientific evidence shows that

at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone has

little potential to remove indoor air contaminants. " In fact our

generators produce concentrations MANY TIMES higher than public health

standards (7ppm) -- in fact, we are not allowed to permit anyone entry

into the home until the concentration is at or below 4ppm -- almost half

of the EPA's suggested " safe level "

We do not sell our ozone generators -- in fact, my contract with

Medallion Healthy Homes (the parent company) absolutely forbids me to

sell the equipment to anyone. We have safety training and all our

employees are required to read a very thick binder with saftey

protocols, etc.

HOWEVER, there are studies out that show that long term exposure to even

low-levels of ozone can reduce lung capacity and aggrivate asthma. The

Alpine Air units do a great job of making a space smell nice and

eliminating odors, BUT it sounds like long term use of them can be

counterproductive -- especially if your problem is pulmonary!

Where we are different is that we start with a house with no ozone, or a

background level of ozone (i.e., whatever the level is outside the

home), and that is what we give back. All of the ozone is purged from

the home before we allow anyone to come back in.

Anyway -- I don't know if you were responding to me, but I thought it

best to point that out, since we are often confused with companies that

sell ozone generators. It is our position that you should not use one

or even be near one one without the proper safety equipment and some

training.

Jeff and

Medallion Healthy Homes of Wisconsin, Inc.

Message: 7

Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 08:52:51 -0700 (PDT)

From: Jim <jvincent537@...>

Subject: Ozone Generators

In the EPA's Ozone Generator Fact sheet, " Ozone

Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners: An

Assessment of Effectiveness and Health Consequences "

it states

" Available scientific evidence shows that at

concentrations that do not exceed public health

standards, ozone has little potential to remove indoor

air contaminants. "

Anyone considering purchasing an ozone generating

system to address mould or other biocontamination in

their home or building is well advised to read this

Fact Sheet at

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html

Jim

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 11

Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 03:34:39 -0400

From: bherk@...

Subject: The Sheppard Foundation

Many people sickened by mycotoxin exposure report an imbalance between

sodium and potassium. In fact, this was one of the first test results that

baffled me - it was so different from my previous blood panels. I went

looking for answers to what this meant - but found none. Then there are

progressive problems with red blood cells. When Dr. Les Simpson checked my

rbc's recently, 85% of them were " flat " as opposed to their normal cup

shape. Flat cells cannot carry oxygen, nor can they conform to pass through

the capillaries - thus the pain associated with fibromyalgia - resembling

the pain of sickle cell anemia. My " crisis periods " resemble those of a

sickle cell patient. The ironic thing is that the test for oxygen in our

blood (you know the clothespin type device they clip on to your finger?)

shows a high - 95% reading. What do you make of this?

Check out this website and the " 33 factors leading to cancer " - they write:

" First. there is a slow buildup of toxicity throughout the body, especially

the liver which is responsible for most of the body's detoxification,

leading to a functional alteration of most systems including the chemical

balance between sodium and potassium in the cells. Next comes a lowering of

electrical potentials in the vital organs, a further accumulation of

poisons, a reduction in the activity and supplies of oxygen, and the

preliminary mutation of some normal cells into cancer cells. With this,

cancer starts. "

http://www.thesheppardfoundation.org/index.html

The mission of The Sheppard Foundation is to research and inform the public

of the most effective, affordable, nontoxic alternative treatments for

disease, both degenerative and terminal, and advocate organic wellness. We

then refer ill individuals to affiliated doctors and practitioners who

provide those treatments in their practice. We aim to educate and promote

the right to freedom of choice in wholistic medicine and natural well-being,

and provide information to those seeking alternative treatments to chemical

therapy, radiation, and surgery, and help with financial assistance for

those who cannot afford the cost of alternative treatment modalities.

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 12

Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 03:47:30 -0400

From: bherk@...

Subject: Fw: MAY 15, RFW'S STORM WARNINGS

----- Original Message -----

Wrom: LSZLKBRNVWWCUFPEGAUTFJMVRESKPNK

<bherk@...>

Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 12:19 AM

Subject: MAY 15, RFW'S STORM WARNINGS

: MAY 15, 2002

:

: RFW'S STORM WARNINGS

:

: Visit redflagsweekly.com

: http://www.redflagsweekly.com

:

: TODAY: THREE VERY POWERFUL STORIES ABOUT TOXIC

: CHEMICALS AND ILLNESS

:

: *REDFLAGS ALERT: POISON FOR PROFIT

: Companies That Produce Toxic Chemicals Also Profit

: From The Illnesses The Chemicals Trigger

: By Hotz

:

: *CHEMICAL INTOLERANCE:

: New Thinking About A Widespread Illness

: By S.

:

: *MY STORY:

: Mother's Day - Just Another Day With

: Chemical Injuries

: By Hutchinson

:

: FOR THE ABOVE:

: http://www.redflagsweekly.com/storm_warnings.html

:

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Message: 13

Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 03:54:19 -0400

From: bherk@...

Subject: Poison for Profit by Hotz

http://www.redflagsweekly.com/storm_warnings/poison.html

POISON FOR PROFIT

CHEM/PHARM HAS NO EQUAL - WHAT A BUSINESS PLAN!

By Hotz

May 15, 2002 - The huge transnational companies that produce toxic chemicals

found in pesticides, herbicides and industrial and household products profit

not only from the sale of these products, but also from the symptoms and

chronic illnesses that they can trigger.

The vast majority of chemicals found in pesticides and other products,

undergo little or no testing for chronic, low level exposures and for

chronic health effects.

The same chemical companies that produce toxic chemicals also produce

prescription drugs, veterinary medicines, a wide array of medical products

and imaging technologies, hold cancer treatment and medical device patents,

and a produce a staggering assortment of over-the-counter palliatives.

Families with toxin induced illnesses often spend large sums for drugs and

medical treatment.

This circle of profit is not conspiracy theory, but an easily provable fact.

Below are chem/pharm web sites for the largest companies in the world. There

you can see quickly and clearly that these companies profit from all sides

of the picture.

Aventis was launched in December 1999 through the merger of Hoechst AG of

Germany and Rhône-Poulenc SA of France. Main Home Page for Aventis--go to

top right and click on " Aventis Worldwide " to see medical, agrochemical and

pharmaceutical categories of business.

http://www.aventis.com/main/0,1003,EN-XX-100---,FF.html

Aventis " crop sciences " include herbicides, fungicides, pesticides and

genetically engineered food.

http://www.cropscience.aventis.com/products/products.htm

Aventis Pharma is the pharmaceutical division:

http://www.aventis.com/main/0,1003,EN-XX-24770-37160--,FF.html

Monsanto is owned by Pharmacia. The Pharmacia Corporation was created

through the merger of Pharmacia Upjohn with Monsanto Company and its G.D.

Searle unit. Pharmacia employs 59,000 people worldwide and has research,

manufacturing and administrative sales operations in more than 60 countries.

Monsanto:

http://www.monsanto.com

Pharmacia:

http://www.pharmacia.com/About/Index.asp

BASF-fungicides, herbicides, pesticides:

http://www.basf.de/en/produkte/gesundheit/pflanzen/products/

BASF - pharmaceuticals:

http://www.basf.de/en/produkte/gesundheit/nahrung/

Merck is known widely as a pharmaceutical company

http://www.merck.com/

Merck Research Company; Applications to Register Pesticide:

http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/1996/July/Day-10/pr-796.html

Merck produces chemicals and precursors for pesticides and other

neurotoxins.

Merck Chemicals for Industrial Applications - Listed in alphabetical order:

http://www.merck-ti.de/tabelle/cia_tabelle.htm

" Our broad range of Chemicals for Industrial Applications is widely used in

many fields of production within the chemical and technical industries. "

http://www.merck-ti.de/set_cia.html

Dow Chemical produces both toxic chemicals and pharmaceuticals. (Click on

the drop-down list here):

http://www.dow.com/products_services/index.html

Dow Pharmaceuticals:

http://www.dowpharm.com/

Dow's pesticide products include the organophosphate pesticide Dursban

(a/k/a Chlorpyrifos/a/k/a RAID a/k/a Lorsban and is found in about 800 other

pesticide products). Dursban was to be phased out and banned from indoor,

yard and garden use last year because of what it does to the developing

brain.

EPA was going to allow Dursban to " continue to be sold until current stocks

run out " but Dow has been scrambling to get this delayed, and has been

conducting short term clinical trials by feeding Dursban pills to healthy

teenagers in an attempt to get it back on the market:

http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020422/poisons.html

Dupont Chemical recently sold a pharmaceutical division to Bristol Myers

Squibb. Dupont makes pesticides and drugs:

http://www.dupontpharma.com/

Here is a list of other chemicals and neurotoxins that they produce:

http://www1.dupont.com/NASApp/dupontcom/jsp/products/products/productsMain.j

sp

Do you take Bayer aspirin? Did you know that Bayer also makes other drugs,

pesticides, chemicals? When you get to the Bayer site from the following

URL, go to the " application " search engine and scroll down to pesticides. At

the first URL here, go to the right side and click on the drop-down list to

see the spectrum of products -- for industrial chemicals and " crop

protection " products, to pharmaceuticals.

http://www.bayer.com/en/index_en.php

Bayer pharmaceuticals:

http://www.pharma.bayer.com/

It is interesting to note that the Bayer corporation was originally the I.G.

Farben Company with deep ties to the Nazis during the 1920s and 30s. I.G.

Farben produced Zyklon-B gas which was used in the Nazi death camps. Other

big chem/pharm manufacturers became owners of pieces of I.G. Farben during

the lengthy process of dissolving its assets after decades of lawsuits and

pressures from international organizations for alleged I.G.Farben Nazi

crimes. Here is a quote from the BBC:

" Most of the company's assets were confiscated after World War II and were

transferred to four big German corporations: Bayer, Hoechst, Agfa and BASF. "

See BBC article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_1549000/1549092.stm

Many of these huge transnationals have merged with each other. For example,

CibaGeigy, Sandoz and other multinational chemical/pharmaceutical companies

merged to become Novartis. Then Novartis Agribusiness merged with Zeneca

(Astra-Zeneca) Agrochemicals to form Syngenta:

http://www.syngenta.com/en/syngenta/facts.asp

Standard and Poor's Stock Exchange profile on Novartis:

http://www.advisorinsight.com/pub/maccess/nyse/nvtsy_66987v_profile.htm

Novartis pharmaceuticals, seeds, genetic engineering:

http://www.novartis.com

Novartis owns Syngenta -- produces pesticides, herbicides, etc:

http://www.syngenta-us.com/

Novartis AG -- incredible list of products, relationships and subsidiaries:

http://www.transnationale.org/fiches/70.htm

Then there is Astra Zeneca that sold off part of its agrochemical business

to Novartis. AstraZeneca. For some listings of its pharmaceuticals:

http://www.astrazeneca.com/mainnav1/s_products/s_prod_brands/c_prod_list/ind

ex.html

MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS & SPIN-OFFS IN THE CHEMICALS INDUSTRY 1998 - 2001:

http://www.icem.org/events/BKK/chem/ma.html

AMVAC makes the insecticide NALED a/k/a DIBROM, and nineteen other products.

AMVAC Chemical Company is owned by American Vanguard Corporation, which

makes herbicides, pesticides. A major portion of its revenues comes from

selling its specialty chemicals to the pharmaceutical industry. It is also

in the business of " environmental remediation " and " toxic waste management. "

(Like other chem/pharm companies, American Vanguard profits from pollution

that they help make, and then get paid to clean up).

http://www.thestandard.com/companies/dossier/0,1922,271462,00.html

AMVAC's brother subsidiaries include, GemChem, Inc. and Environmental

Mediation, Inc.

AMVAC's brother GemChem: " ... committed to exceeding industry standards as a

national chemical distributor. In addition to representing AMVAC as its

domestic sales force, GemChem also sells into the cosmetic, nutritional and

pharmaceutical markets. "

AMVAC's brother Environmental Mediation, Inc. provides clients with:

" complex investigative and remedial activities. With... core expertise in

the areas of hazardous waste, air toxics, and water quality... "

Environmental Mediation, Inc. offers its clients expertise in:

Issue Analysis

Strategic Planning

Government Relations

Regulatory Strategy

Environmental Consulting

Public Affairs

American Home Products pharmaceuticals and veterinary medicines has

subsidiaries galore, including American Cyanimid among others. American

Cyanimid produced many chemical products including pesticides and

pharmaceutical chemicals.

http://www.amvac-chemical.com/investor_page/Subsidiaries/subsidiaries.htm

AHP later changed its name to WYETH, a major holding company:

http://www.wyeth.com

American Home Products was gobbled up by the chem/pharm giat BASF:

http://www.basf.com/static/OpenMarket/Xcelerate/Preview_cid-974236855115_pub

id-974236850984_c-Article.html

See paragraph nine:

http://www.rrz.uni-hamburg.de/biologie/b_online/ppigb/company.htm

And this just shows the cycle of profit in all of its glory when you see the

Chemical Business Research website -- Click on: " Code " C4 " : Cancer

Opportunities in the New Millennium "

http://ecom.sric.sri.com/CBRD/Public/Staff/

Did you know that thousands of toxic chemicals are impregnated into products

that we come in intimate contact with every day that have woefully

inadequate testing? Synthetic chemicals are found in clothing, furniture,

bedding, paper, food storage containers, building materials, pillow

feathers, pillow covers, inks, mattresses, food, cosmetics, carbonless

paper, fragrances, and tampons. A wide variety of fat soluable pesticides

are even impregnated into animal feed (fat soluable means it stores in fat).

One of the reasons this is done is to cut down on flies in the barnyard. The

fecal matter becomes so toxic that it ends up killing the flies! So the

questions is -- does the animal fat cause us to get dosed with low levels of

this stuff? See EPA web site:

http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_99/40cfr186_99.html

Most of the public is completely unaware of how pervasive toxic chemicals

are in our homes and offices. If it were just one or two of the

chemicals--the effects might be tolerable. But that is not the case at all

because the relentless cumulative and synergistic effects of these chemicals

is causing great harm to human, animal and environmental health.

When we, our children and our animals suffer symptoms or become ill, have

trouble with our reproductive systems -- we spend many thousands of dollars

on medical imaging, tests, treatments, operations, hospitals and drugs... a

circle of profit that has no equal in the corporate world. Again this year -

the chemical/pharmaceutical industry was declared the most profitable

industry in the world.

What a business plan!

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 14

Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 04:11:09 -0400

From: bherk@...

Subject: 's " The Compelling Anomaly of Chemical Intolerance "

http://www.annalsnyas.org/cgi/content/full/933/1/1

ls of the New York Academy of Sciences 933:1-23 (2001)

The Compelling Anomaly of Chemical Intolerance

S.

Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Department of Family and Community

Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San , San

, Texas 78229-3900, USA

Address for correspondence: Environmental and Occupational Medicine,

Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Texas Health

Science Center at San , 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San , TX

78229-3900. Voice: 210-567-7760; fax: 210-567-7764.

millercs@...

In science, anomalies expose the limitations of existing paradigms and drive

the search for new ones. In the late 1800s, physicians observed that certain

illnesses spread from sick, feverish individuals to those contacting them,

paving the way for the germ theory of disease. The germ theory served as a

crude, but elegant formulation that explained dozens of seemingly unrelated

illnesses affecting literally every organ system. Today, we are witnessing

another medical anomaly-a unique pattern of illness involving chemically

exposed groups in more than a dozen countries, who subsequently report

multisystem symptoms and new-onset chemical, food, and drug intolerances.

These intolerances may be the hallmark for a new disease process or

paradigm, just as fever is a hallmark for infection. The fact that diverse

demographic groups, sharing little in common except some initial chemical

exposure event, develop these intolerances is a compelling anomaly pointing

to a possible new theory of disease, one that has been referred to as

" Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance " ( " TILT " ). TILT has the potential to

explain certain cases of asthma, migraine headaches, and depression, as well

as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and " Gulf War syndrome " . It appears to

evolve in two stages: (1) initiation, characterized by a profound breakdown

in prior, natural tolerance resulting from either acute or chronic exposure

to chemicals (pesticides, solvents, indoor air contaminants, etc.), followed

by (2) triggering of symptoms by small quantities of previously tolerated

chemicals (traffic exhaust, fragrances, gasoline), foods, drugs, and

food/drug combinations (alcohol, caffeine). While the underlying dynamic

remains an enigma, observations indicating that affected individuals respond

to structurally unrelated drugs and experience cravings and withdrawal-like

symptoms, paralleling drug addiction, suggest that multiple neurotransmitter

pathways may be involved.

It may be the all-inclusiveness of potential factors, the difficulty of

establishing an animal model, and the lack of measurable endpoints that make

acceptance of the hypothesis difficult. It would seem as if almost any

combination [of chemicals] that every human being is exposed to might

initiate this sequence, and almost any factor may trigger it once

established. Therefore, is it the agents or the responder?

-Frederick F. Becker (Letter to the Author) University of Texas MD

Cancer Center

Scientific understanding of chemical intolerance remains in its infancy,

mired in controversy. The media tends to fuel the controversy by portraying

only the most extreme cases, overlaid with a thin veneer of scientific

opinion. Patients with this problem are caught up in the acrimonious cross

fire between various physician groups. This acrimony is fueled by the

different medical paradigms concerning the condition's origins. Litigation

and compensation claims lead to adversarial proceedings that draw medical

practitioners unwillingly into the conflict. Expert witnesses paint

themselves into scientific corners and opinions harden on all sides.

Everyone has an opinion, mostly based upon their personal beliefs with no

definitive data to support them. However, science is not about belief. It is

about " guess and test " , that is, formulating hypotheses based upon

observation ( " guess " ) and then testing those hypotheses ( " test " ). All

science begins with observation.

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the available, salient

observations concerning chemical intolerance. Admittedly, most of these

observations are anecdotal. This is normal for new science. The observations

presented here constitute the few facts available to us, but there is

considerable agreement about them. The next step is formulating a hypothesis

that explains these observations, a process that Darwin described as

" grouping facts so general laws can be derived from them " . Comprehensive

fact-gathering is the first critical step. Done well, it will enable us to

avoid what Henry Huxley called " the great tragedy of science-the

slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact " . In the next section, we

will review the " ugly facts " of chemical intolerance, those which any

successful hypothesis must be able to explain.

Roughly half of those who are chemically intolerant say their illness began

following a specific exposure event, referred to as an initiating event, for

example, a chemical spill, chronic solvent exposure, a pesticide

application, indoor air contaminants, combustion products, etc. (Fig. 1).1 A

small subset of individuals exposed in situations like these appear to

develop chronic symptoms that persist years, even decades, beyond their

original exposure. At first, affected individuals may describe " flu-like "

symptoms that just will not go away, or feeling as though they are in a

" perpetual fog " . Next to develop are multisystem symptoms that seem to wax

and wane unpredictably. Subsequently, there may be a dawning awareness of

certain new intolerances, for example, for alcoholic beverages or a

medication. Over time, these intolerances grow to include a wide variety of

common, structurally unrelated chemicals, foods, drugs, caffeine, alcoholic

beverages, and skin contactants. This has been termed the " spreading

phenomenon " . The intolerances may appear suddenly, within weeks following an

acute, high-level exposure (e.g., a chemical spill), or, in the case of

lower level exposures (e.g., a sick office building), develop insidiously

over months or years.

FIGURE 1. Phenomenology of Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT).

Illness appears to develop in two stages: (1) initiation, that is, loss of

prior, natural tolerance resulting from an acute or chronic exposure

(pesticides, solvents, indoor air contaminants, etc.), followed by (2)

triggering of symptoms by small quantities of previously tolerated chemicals

(traffic exhaust, fragrances), foods, drugs, and food/drug combinations

(alcohol, caffeine). The physician sees only the tip of the iceberg-the

patient's symptoms-and formulates a diagnosis based on them (e.g., asthma,

depression, chronic fatigue, migraine headaches). Masking hides the

relationship between symptoms and triggers. The initial exposure event

Food intolerances may develop, but go unrecognized at first. Affected

individuals may instead report every sort of digestive difficulty, feeling

ill after meals, or extreme irritability if a meal is missed or delayed.

Symptoms can occur following inhalation, ingestion, mucosal contact, or

injection (e.g., drugs) of a substance. Different exposures, for example,

fragrances, chemicals outgassing from new furnishings or carpeting, traffic

exhaust, cleaning agents, etc., may trigger different constellations of

symptoms that vary from person to person (Table 1). There is a certain

consistency to these complaints: A particular exposure (e.g., diesel exhaust

or a fragrance) in a particular person is said to elicit a characteristic

constellation of symptoms-a signature response for that person with that

exposure. These responses can occur at below-olfactory-threshold

concentrations. Symptoms may flare seconds to hours after a triggering

exposure and persist for minutes to days. Patients may report that certain

symptoms enable them to identify a specific trigger (e.g., a pesticide),

even when no odor is apparent. Hyperresponsiveness to physical stimuli,

including bright light, noise, and touch, is commonly reported.2,3 People

who lack a sense of smell (anosmic individuals) may also suffer from

chemical intolerances.

<snip>

________________________________________________________________________

Message: 15

Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 04:43:19 -0400

From: bherk@...

Subject: Center for Public Integrity

With 6 billion people on the planet and 270 million living in the United

States, who can blame anyone for thinking that one person can't make a

difference? But don't believe it for a second. "

That's how , founder of the Center for Public Integrity, begins

his pitch for the " Citizen muckraking " section on the center's website. " The

goal of the Citizen Muckraking project is to outline some basic techniques

of investigative reporting that you - or any other citizen - can use to

obtain information about the toxic-waste dump in your neighborhood; the

city-council zoning decision that seems to benefit one of the council

members personally; the reason your utility rates have been going up; why

some property-tax assessments increase yearly but others don't; etc.

Information truly is power, and we will show you precisely how to get the

facts. "

They've broken down the section into three parts: Opposition Research,

Follow the Money, and Freedom Trail. This is an encouraging site maintained

by a group which is increasingly making its presence felt in investigative

journalism.

http://www.publicintegrity.org/dtaweb/home.asp

________________________________________________________________________

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