Dear President-Elect Obama: Health care is a right

Yesterday’s post on President-Elect Obama’s request for input on Health Care inspired many of you to write him about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Bravo! Like true canaries, you are out front sending your messages of warning and need.

I’d like to post the letters if you would like to share. If you’ve saved a copy, send to me via email to susie(at)thecanaryreport(dot)org.

Missy Gluckman (at left) wrote me this morning with a copy of her remarks. The Canary Report has been following Missy’s struggle with severe illness and MCS brought on by toxic mold exposure at her place of work. Here are Missy’s remarks to President-Elect Obama:

Dear President Elect Obama,

Thank you for asking for our input!

I would like to see ND (Natural Doctors - licensed by many states) included more regularly in health care plans. In addition, natural supplements that are prescribed by NDs are not covered by health insurance and I would like to see this change.

Why do I care about this? Well, let me clarify: I tried traditional medicine for 39 years of my 40 and switched recently to an ND after 3 years of treatment for a variety of illnesses caused by mold/toxic exposure that nearly killed me at 37.  My ND, thankfully, is covered by my insurance plan (Anthem - state of CT), but this is RARE. The ND has been the only person in 3 years who has given me ANY relief from toxic poisoning and the related illnesses (thyroid, liver and lung damage, multiple chemical sensitivity, etc). Without her unique approach to healing, I would likely be pushing for Full Disability which costs the govt a lot more than me being healthy and working (i’m categorized as Partially disabled by NY State worker’s compensation - but I choose to push through it and work bc I WANT to be productive and could not afford to live on $400 a week as granted by worker’s comp).

The natural approach would potentially improve the health and quality of life for thousands who suffer from toxic exposure, yet 99% of people will not go to this type of Dr bc of lack of insurance. An avg appt is $200 and supplements (which change each time I go  - can be as little as $12 or as much as $800).   The pharma companies are driving policy and are not always the best solution (in my case, the traditional pharma solutions resulted in a 30 pound weight gain which caused a whole new host of issues and simply did not work on any above stated conditions).

So, please help people who are suffering by giving them the option of licensed NDs and not allowing health insurance companies the right to deny a licensed dr into the network if they meet the criteria (i.e. licensed, etc - my ND was denied access into the Aetna network.)  Natural plant supplements have been used for CENTURIES in countries such as India, Brazil, etc with extremely positive effects - please fund the study and use of supplements so that they can be covered under insurance plans.

Secondly, I would like to ask for a law that requires manufacturers to state the contents of “fragrance” in their items sold (such as candles, lotions, Fabreze, etc). As a person who suffers from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), fragrances (which are toxic and some are carcinogens) are like kryptonite to me - within minutes I’m forced to go to bed due to the crippling ear pain, respiratory struggles, etc), all so someone can “smell nice”. If people and the govt understood what was actually in “Fragrance” as a category and how it can cause brain fog and behavioral issues in certain children, they would craft some meaningful laws to protect them and people like me who suffer MCS.

PREVENTION of illness is a big part of the need to restructure our health system. If daily toxins weren’t permitted - and certainly not encouraged - less people would suffer from illness and less children from asthma.

I got ill working at SUNY Rockland Cmty College - at a desk (I was a college administrator.) I was exposed to mold mycotoxins such as stachybotris and penicillium. These cause short term memory loss (brain damage) and hemorrhaging in babies. The school knew about the mold for at least a decade and did nothing to rectify it …WHY? Because our govt (unlike most industrialized countries in the world) has ZERO laws about mold.

Did you know that African American children in urban areas suffer from the HIGHEST rate of asthma in the country - why? Reports indicate that mold in public housing is one major factor - again, no one dictates that you must be permitted to live in a place that is safe from health issues.  Mold is a major cause of permanent illness which drains the economy and feed the pharma system.  This needs to change.

THANK YOU President Elect Obama for asking and for giving us a voice in our lives.  Without my health, I am nothing. Simple as that. Thankfully I am employed by the State of CT and have options - MOST DO NOT and as you said, health care is a RIGHT, not a luxury.

Good health to you all.

Canary’s Cry for Friday, Oct. 31

Oh the horror:

The Canary is screaming her head off about The Washington Post report on the Bush Administration making “A Last Push to Deregulate,” which will result in the easing of many environmental rules including clean air protection. The Post says, “Those and other regulations would help clear obstacles to some commercial ocean-fishing activities, ease controls on emissions of pollutants that contribute to global warming, relax drinking-water standards and lift a key restriction on mountaintop coal mining.”  The Post also says, “The burst of activity has made this a busy period for lobbyists who fear that industry views will hold less sway after the elections.”

ChicoER.com reports that school officials had to close two portable library buildings in Hamilton, California, due to mold growth. Officials didn’t know whether the library books will have to be cleaned or destroyed.

The Press Enterprise, in “Cement dust harmful, suit says,” reports on a lawsuit filed on behalf of 268 people who allege they’ve been harmed by hexavalent chromium emissions from the TXI Riverside Cement Co. plant just north of Riverside, California. Attorneys for the plaintiffs are working with Erin Brockovich-Ellis, the legal researcher made famous by the 2000 movie “Erin Brockovich.” The lawsuit filed by the Westlake Village firm of Masry & Vititoe claims the plaintiffs — people who lived or worked near the plant — have suffered from unspecified types of cancer, kidney and liver injuries, upper airway and skin irritations as well as emotional duress.

Canary’s Cry for Tuesday, Oct 28

Blacksmith Institute in collaboration with Green Cross Switzerland issued a Top Ten List of the world’s most dangerous pollution problems [Urban Air Quality at left]. The report names pollution as one of the leading contributing factors to death and disability in the world and highlights the disproportionate effects on the health of children.

The Top Ten list includes commonly discussed pollution problems like urban air pollution as well as more overlooked threats like car battery recycling. The problems included in the report have a significant impact on human health worldwide and result in death, persistent illness, and neurological impairment for millions of people, particularly children.  According to the report, many of these deaths and related illnesses could be avoided with affordable and effective interventions. “Our goal with the 2008 report is to increase awareness of the severe toll that pollution takes on human health and inspire the international community to act,” said Richard Fuller, founder of Blacksmith Institute. “Remediation is both possible and cost-effective.”

Army Times reported that “Burn pit at Balad raises health concerns.”

Troops say chemicals and medical waste burned at base are making them sick, but officials deny risk.

An open-air “burn pit” at the largest U.S. base in Iraq may have exposed tens of thousands of troops, contractors and Iraqis to cancer-causing dioxins, poisons such as arsenic and carbon monoxide, and hazardous medical waste, documentation gathered by Military Times shows.

The billowing black plume from the burn pit at 15-square-mile Joint Base Balad, the central logistics hub for U.S. forces in Iraq, wafts continually over living quarters and the base combat support hospital, sources say.

Reuters INDIA picked up the Reuters Washington story “Does mold make you sick?” Fungus expert Joan Bennett did not believe in toxic mold — the cause of “sick building syndrome” and many lawsuits — until her New Orleans home was flooded during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. When she got a whiff of the foul air that the black goo had created in her home, she decided to change her research focus and try to find out how and if the fungi that took over most of the flooded homes on the Gulf Coast might make people ill. “The overwhelming obnoxiousness of the odor and of the enveloping air made me start to believe in something that I had never believed in before — sick building syndrome,” Bennett, of Rutgers University in New Jersey, told a news conference.

Mold: How to clean it up and keep it from coming back

Photo at left: Mold can grow behind wallpaper on walls if there is enough moisture. Bathrooms and basements are especially vulnerable. (The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restorat)

Excellent article out today on mold by columnist Glen Haege The Handyman at The Detroit News. The article includes info on defining mold, determining if you have mold, and cleaning & controlling mold, with tons of links to more information and product recommendations.

One of the more interesting points in the column is noting that the government no longer recommends bleach for mold clean up “due to its toxic fumes and the health risks involved for the homeowner,” instead recommending “that homeowners use a detergent-based solution for cleaning mold and mildew.” For clean up, Haege suggests Concrobium Mold Control (866-811-4148, www.concrobium.com), by Siamons International. On its website, Concrobium claims the product is “the only EPA-registered solution that eliminates mold and keeps it from coming back – without bleach, ammonia or VOCs.” We need a canary to test this product!

I appreciate that in The Detroit News article, Haege clarifies the difference between common and toxic molds, the common mold being the type that we have here in our homes in Hawaii vs the most toxic mold “being stachybotrys, which is commonly known as black mold.” While it’s not the best to breathe any mold, the stuff we battle with on our walls here is not toxic per se, as opposed to the stachybotrys, which is highly toxic and can create what’s called a “sick building” full of sick people.

Click on this link to read Haege’s full article.

Experts say everyone is affected by chemical sensitivity

Some people are on the severe end, with their sensitivities so extreme that they can’t function in many public places where they can’t control their environment.

Cleveland Living and Lifestyles News has an interesting and well-written article about Environmental Illness and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity entitled “Environmental Illnesses are gaining attention, thanks to the green movement.” It’s one of the most balanced reports I’ve read in a mainstream paper about MCS and worth reading all the way through.

…environmental medicine is the study of how the reactions we have when we’re exposed to certain toxins affect our immune and neuroendocrine (nervous system and hormones) systems.

Still, the field is often misunderstood as “alternative” medicine. But with the growing popularity for “green” lifestyles and all things organic, and with illnesses that Louisiana residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina got after living in Federal Emergency Management Agency-provided trailers, environmental medicine is getting more attention.

“People just make such a quick judgment about those who are really, really sick,” said Dr. Lisa Lavine Nagy, who has been championing for heightened awareness since her own series of misdiagnoses several years ago for what turned out to be severe multiple chemical sensitivity.

Often, those quick judgments happen because the people more likely to report their chemical sensitivities are women over age 40, she said. Most “normal” women of that age have mild symptoms that are hard to explain, and thus easier to dismiss, she said.

Experts say that everyone is affected in some way by chemical sensitivity. No one quite knows why, but some think genetics may play a large role.

Some people are on the severe end, with their sensitivities so extreme that they can’t function in many public places where they can’t control their environment.

Others may have relatively mild symptoms — or none at all…. (Link to full story, go read it!)

[And some great tips in the side bar]

Possible signs of an environmental illness:

• Headaches while talking on your cell or cordless phone.

• Increased sense of smell, especially to items such as perfume, laundry detergents, cats, etc.

• Increased sensitivity to fluorescent light.

• A diagnosis of adrenal fatigue, or thyroid deficiency or overactivity.

Tips from Dr. Michael Roizen, Cleveland Clinic:

• One of the keys — especially here in Cleveland — is to air one’s house out. Over the course of a winter, the quality of inside air becomes worse than outside air, he said. It doesn’t hurt to open the windows periodically on good days during the winter.

• Avoid materials — household cleaners, rugs, air fresheners, even some furniture — that emit lots of volatile hydrocarbons. As Roizen put it, “You want to use cleaning fluids that are, in fact, safe enough to drink.”

Possible treatments to discuss with your doctor (from Dr. Lisa Nagy):

• Remove yourself from possible causes, i.e. a “sick” house or office. The culprit may be mold, or as unsuspecting as carpeting or fabric softener. A July study from the University of Washington revealed that six top-selling laundry products and air fresheners gave off toxic chemicals — none of which was listed on product labels.

• Decrease your total chemical load. Switch to organic food, filtered air and water.

• Detoxify with the help of intravenous and oral vitamins and supplements, under a doctor’s supervision.

• Investigate whether you have specific food or chemical allergies or hormone imbalances and/or insufficiencies.

• Consider treatment in a low-temperature (140 degrees) sauna, under a doctor’s supervision.

Link

Canary’s Cry for Monday, Oct. 13

WCSH6.com carries an AP release on Johns Hopkins scientists who report that high levels of a noxious gas from stoves can be added to the list of indoor pollutants that aggravate asthma symptoms of inner-city children, especially preschoolers.

The LA Times reports on how people in China also suffer from indoor air pollution because of stoves and smoking. The air inside lower-class homes is up to 10 times worse than the gloom outside, researchers say.

StarTribune.com in Minneapolis-St.Paul Minnesota reports on problems caused by people sitting around the back-yard fire pit: some neighbors are up in arms over the health risks from the smoke.

StarTribune.com also reports on biomonitoring to measure chemicals directly in people’s bodies: their blood, urine, hair and other body tissues and fluids. Studies are looking for arsenic in people in south Minneapolis and 3M chemicals in the east metro, another study will test mercury levels in newborns’ blood. A fourth test will check the urine of pregnant women for a group of seven compounds called phenols, found in a wide variety of items from plastics to personal care products.

Bloomberg.com carries a story on the mold problems in Galveston one month after Hurricane Ike.

SCTV news in Orange County, California, warns about unhealthful air quality caused by the wild fires.

Photo by Gypsy D

Canary’s Cry for Sunday, Oct. 12

A new feature on The Canary Report: Recent news worthy of a Canary’s Cry.

Here’s the alarm call for Sunday, Oct 12:

The Standard Speaker reports on “A body at war,” the story of a veteran of Desert Storm and Desert Shield who now suffers from multiple sclerosis or MS. My heart breaks when I hear stories about chemically injured veterans.

Local10.com finds “Mold Forces Hundreds of Students Out of Dorms” at Florida Memorial University. Gross out warning.

RedOrbit says South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday: “South Korea is the Largest User of Farm Chemicals Among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Members.”

AP reports that “Mexican marijuana cartels sully US forests, parks.” Seems herbicides and pesticides are being used to grow pot in National Forests, resulting in horrendous damage.

In other forest news, Eonline blares the headline “Britney Sees the Forest for the Perfume.” The pop star’s new perfume Hidden Fantasy has the tagline “What do you have to hide?” and is being marketed as a “seductive scent that is all about expressing the many mysterious sides of a woman.” I have no idea what this has to do with forests, although the promo photo has her looking like a tree hugger, literally.

FT.com, out of the UK, reports in “Making scents of the male market” that more than 40 new men’s scents are being launched in the US market alone this year. Oh goodie, I can hardly wait.

Link to photo by emingus

Jury awards homeowners $903,000 for mold in new house

BARTOW | A Lakeland woman who contracted pneumonia six times in 18 months because of mold in her newly built house won a $903,000 jury verdict late Thursday against the home builder.

Jurors deliberated about five hours before deciding that Lakeland builder Rudy Brown was responsible for the problems in the house.

They awarded $718,000 to Janice Martin Arnett so she could repair her house in Eagle Lake, and another $185,000 to compensate for the time she couldn’t use the house.

Bartow lawyer Tom Saunders, speaking on behalf of Arnett, said they were pleased with the verdict.

“It’s been a difficult time, but we are pleased with the outcome,” he said.

Brown did not return telephone calls for comment Friday.

During the two-week trial, Saunders told jurors that Arnett and her husband, Mike, moved into the $1.4 million, 8,500-square-foot lakefront house in July 2002.

“There were problems with the windows leaking and cracks in the stucco,” he said. “The builder tried to fix it, but by August 2004, he said there was nothing else he could do.”

By January 2005, Arnett had to move from the house because the mold was making her sick, Saunders said.

Link to full story at theledger.com.

Overwhelmed by mold

Costs top $19M, more Board of Equalization workers being moved

At left, state employee Wendy Schroeder, now homebound, keeps a plastic film over her eyes to keep out debris.

I’m amazed at how many stories there are about people getting sick from toxic mold. We’ve been following Missy Gluckman’s story since early summer about her nightmare working in an old building at a community college in New York.

Now here’s a story from the west coast about a woman who got sick from toxic mold at her workplace in a California State building.

As I’m sure you know, toxic mold exposure often triggers chemical sensitivity; in fact, I have yet to hear of a case where someone who’s been made sick from mold hasn’t developed hyper sensitivity to synthetic chemicals.

Wendy Schroeder began working at the California State Board of Equalization headquarters on April 1, 1996 - April Fool’s Day. It was no laughing matter.

She’s been on disability leave since March. Now, recovering from sinus and tear-duct surgery, she says toxic mold and other hazardous substances in the building made her sick. Even working on files that have been stored in the building makes her break out in a rash.

Although state officials took steps last month to relocate dozens more workers to new offices, more than 2,300 people still work at BOE headquarters at 450 N St. in downtown Sacramento, despite overcrowded conditions and ongoing problems with water damage and mold. The problems raise questions about whether staying in the building over the long term is viable as costs climb.

“(That’s) my question daily,” said Bill Leonard, a Republican who served in the state Legislature for 24 years before he was first elected to the board in 2002. “If we weren’t in a budget crisis, I’d be looking for a legislative sponsor to buy us a new campus.”

Link

Photo: Noel Neuburger | Sacramento Business Journal

And also in the news today:

Sudden Rise in Allergies and Asthma After Hurricane Ike
PR Web (press release) - Ferndale, WA, USA
“Storms in general can worsen allergies and asthma because increased winds mobilize mold spores and pollens and send them flying through the air. …

Shandoka Residents Alerted to Potential of Mold Growth
Telluride Watch - Telluride, CO, USA
by Karen James TELLURIDE – While the appearance of major mold infestations in two Mountain Village rental apartment complexes earlier this year has led some …

Winfield school replaces ceiling after mold found
Charleston Gazette - WV, USA
Maintenance crews at Winfield Elementary School replaced the ceiling in one of the school’s portable classrooms Thursday, after inspectors found mold in the …

Students report mold in Logan Hall
Chanticleer (subscription) - Jacksonville, AL, USA
Students at Logan Hall have reported many cases of mold growing in rooms and hallways. According to students the fungus can very easily be seen in several …

Damage, mold push St. Charles Manor residents from apartments
Houma Courier - Houma, Louisiana, USA
Now residents of the St. Charles Manor apartment complex share a collective dread, facing the prospect of becoming homeless because of a mold infestation …

Experts say: Act quickly to minimize mold’s damaging effects in …
By media-newswire.com
COLLEGE STATION – People returning to homes flooded during Hurricane Ike or other disasters should act quickly to combat mold, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert. “If you don’t it could ruin your home, possessions and …

Some info on Toxic Mold Awareness Month

Here are some upcoming events in conjunction with National Indoor Mold Awareness Month (September). Activities include a talk show that you can connect to via your computer.

(Note: There’s good stuff in here on events to raise awareness about toxic mold, but the post is slightly disjointed. I’ve tried to clean it up a bit and add some live links so it’s easier to read and access info. Post is snitched from a group called TWUSEA and the Homeless Underground based in Seattle.)

The Governors from the following states have signed the National Indoor Toxic Mold Awareness Month (NITMAM) Proclamation! We would like to thank the Governors from Pennsylvania , Mississippi , Florida , Michigan and Nevada (one week beginning September 21, 2008) for declaring National Indoor Toxic Mold Awareness Month in their states.

The following Governors have denied the National Indoor Toxic Mold Awareness Month Proclamation in their states: North Carolina , Texas and Tennessee.

We have Indoor Toxic Mold Representatives from Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, California (2 reps), Arizona, Illinois, Oregon, Iowa, Wisconsin, and 1 International Representative from Bermuda.

If you are interested in being an Indoor Toxic Mold Representative or want to help with planning events in those states where the proclamations were signed, please send an email to nitmam@nimsociety.org.

UPCOMING NITMAM EVENTS!

YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS EPISODE 12 OF THE NATIONAL INDOOR MOLD SOCIETY INTERNET TALK SHOW!

The NIMS Internet Talk Show will continue with the theme of celebrating the National Indoor Toxic Mold Awareness Month (September 5 to October 5, 2008).

You will also hear from William Croft, DVM, PhD, Medical Pathologist. He has been called the The Father of Molds/Mycotoxins.

Scheduled Time: Date: Sat, September 13, 2008 Time: 08:00 PM EDT

How to participate:

Join from your computer:

1. Click here to join the call or just listen along http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=31030&cmd=tc

2. Become a TalkShoe member (Sign-up for talkshoe and download talkshoe live to listen, chat, and ask questions live) http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/userCreate1.jsp

Call in:

Dial: (724) 444-7444

Enter: 31030 # (Call ID)

Enter: 1 # or your PIN

Next NIMS Internet Talk Show: September 20, 2008 Time: 08:00 PM EDT

William Croft, DVM, PhD, Medical Pathologist

[...] In 1986, Dr. Croft published the first paper on indoor mold poisoning in the North American Continent and demonstrated the fingerprint for Trichothecene Mycotoxins in animals and humans. This study was in part funded by the United States Army. He has completed 15 autopsies, 9 adult humans and 6 children, clearly demonstrating pathology caused by inhalation versus ingestion of these mycotoxins. Dr. Croft has studied, and observed over 6,500 people demonstrating signs and symptoms of mycotoxin poisoning and has determined the stages for inhalation mycotoxicosis. Dr. Croft has studied this disease for 25 years on a pathological basis and in an effort to allow others to become aware of the disease; he is willing to share what he has learned concerning this environmental disease.

SUMMARY OF PRESENTATION:

Dr. Croft will discuss the answers to the question: He will discuss various topics from the history of fungi, the definition of molds and mycotoxins, cross-contamination, stages of the disease, and trichothecene mycotoxicosis.

CONTACT DR. CROFT:
For more information about Dr. Croft and his services:
Website: www.edgi.org
E-mail: doccroft@hotmail.com
Office: (608) 274-1618

NITMAM EVENTS IN TENNESSEE :

[...] SIMPLY SHARON will be at Barnes and Noble Booksellers 1701 Mallory Lane, Brentwood, TN 37027 at a LOCAL AUTHORS RECEPTION, THURS September 18, 2008 from 6-8pm.

Please forward this to all you know and come on down and say hello to SIMPLY SHARON!

Her book, IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD will be sold that night for $17.99. Be sure and have her sign it before you leave! [...]

IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD brings to life the painful realism of toxic injury due to mold /mycotoxin exposure as well as addressing the social stigma of the horrendous myth that mold is nontoxic. [...]

TENNESSEE INDOOR TOXIC MOLD AWARENESS WEEK SEPTEMBER 21- 27, 2008

Monday, Sept. 22 to Wed. Sept. 24 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST
SAV-A-LOT
700 Highway 100
North Park Shopping Center
Centerville, TN 37033

Thursday, Sept. 25 to Sat. Sept 27 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST
Krogers
143 Henslee Drive
Dickson, TN 37033

For more information about Sharon Pawlak, a.k.a Simply Sharon and events in Tennessee, visit her websites www.moldmadness.com and www.myspace.com/simplysharonspeaks.

Toxic mold found at Rockland Community College

Since June this year, The Canary Report has been following the story of Missy Gluckman, the former Rockland Community College employee who was disabled by exposure to toxic mold in the old building where she worked. The symptoms she suffered were horrible: shortness of breath, ear and joint pain, and numbness and swelling in her hands and face. After falling very ill, Missy then developed Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, triggered by the mold exposure.

Missy and her supporters, who think the building should be shut down so that current employees are not made sick,  pushed the college hard to bring in experts to conduct mold testing. I got to hand it to her: she’s done a great job at keeping the story alive in the press, applying pressure to the college administration in every way. Activism like this is really tough, especially when suffering illness, but Missy was tenaciously persistent.

Here’s her good news that she emailed to me!

The 200 plus page report from the Colden Corp came out today - confirms that there is plenty of rotten mold at RCC and that is why people are sick. Recommendations include accommodating people who work in the bldg (i.e. moving them).

Will be fighting, at the press event on Friday at RCC to have the bldg closed, as they only published a handful of the 200 pages….there is much more hidden in that report.

Here is today’s local news interview….very supportive of our concerns:
www.rnntv.com

And here is the link to the report if you have nothing to do tonight but read about mold:
http://www.sunyrockland.edu/about/office-of-the-president/environmental-study

Thanks for your support,
Missy

Link to video, scroll down to “Mold Study at Rockland Community College”– you can see above what the window will look like.

For background on this story, see previous posts on The Canary Report here, here, here and here.

Employees say mold in hospital causing illness and death

Complaints dating back to 2006 from workers in Atlanta’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at MCG Children’s Medical Center have led to a lawsuit. Workers have complained for years about illnesses that appear to them or others to be related to mold and mildew.

The Metro Spirit has done an expose on the problems, the details of which will make you wild.

The hospital denies it’s a problem. Deborah Humphrey of the MCG Health public information office said the hospital would not grant an interview on the subject because none was needed. “Problem identified, problem solved,” she said.

However, Metro Spirit has obtained documents in which a hospital employee has accused MCG Health of having such serious mold and mildew problems that it has contributed to the death of a patient.

Todd Brandenburg first made a documented complaint about mold and mildew in April 2005. He was later written up by MCG Health for “improperly reporting a mold issue.”

MCG Health said the complaint caused a waste of manpower, even though mold was later discovered and remediated as a result of his complaint, Brandenburg said. He was fired a few months later.

“All I wanted to do was be a good employee and alert the hospital to a potential problem,” he added. “I did not know it would lead to me being fired.”

As part of his grievance against that firing, a grievance that has now grown into a lawsuit, Brandenburg laid out his concerns about mold causing health problems at MCG Health.

“I was told that the suspected mold problem was simply a housekeeping issue and that the mildew I saw growing was only dust,” Brandenburg wrote in his grievance. “The mildew smell remains prominent in that area.”

He spoke directly to the seriousness of the matter. “There was a patient death due to environmental issues with the facility carpet (notably in the CMC [Children's Medical Center]), not to exclude the infection rate from the growth of bacteria in the five NICU sinks. This lends evidence to the fact that the ‘mold’ issue has (in all likelihood) not been fixed.”

Link to complete story.

Related posts in The Canary Report:

Mold at the center of controversy

Missy kicks ass, forces former employer to fix building

A message from Missy Gluckman: The fox is watching the hen house

Select mold mitigating materials when renovating your bathroom

Second post on a bath and bathroom theme. Here’s some good advice from Planet Green for nontoxic bathroom renovation materials that will help with mold problems before they start.

Select Mold Mitigating Materials

Use materials that don’t promote mould and mildew growth, are eco-friendly, and are easy to clean. In Japan, a lot of baths are lined with cedar and wood; cork and water resistant woods have natural mold inhibitors in them. For floors and walls go with recycled glass or ceramic tiles, Marmoleum (a good old fashed linoleum material), low-VOC paints, and natural plasters like American Clay, which absorb and release moisture, mitigating the potential for mildew. For countertops, consider those made from recycled glass cullet, or compressed, sealed, recycled paper, such as Paperstone and Richlite.

Link to Top 10 Green Bathroom Renovation Tips.

Photo by massdistraction at flickr.

Everything you ever wanted to know about mold removal…

…but were afraid to ask.

Danielle Downs at the Farmers’ Almanac writes a well-researched and user-friendly article about mold and mold removal, specifically addressing the toxic molds that can cause or make worse multiple chemical sensitivity in people who are exposed.

Mold comes in every color, texture, and style imaginable. A Mold Test Kit is the only sure way to know what kind of mold is growing. The color and appearance can be difficult to differentiate because of the variety of molds. When the media use the terms “Black Mold” or “Toxic Mold,” they are usually referring to Stachbotrys. Both media terms are misleading, because many molds are black and many molds produce toxins. Further, Stachbotrys is not always black, but is sometime green, gray, or brown, depending upon its food source.

Stachybotrys has the ability to produce mycotoxins that are extremely toxic, suspected carcinogens, and immunosuppressive. Exposure to these mycotoxins can occur through inhalation, ingestion, and dermal exposure. . Long term exposure has shown that Stachybotrys and Chaetomium can destroy the myelin sheath, leading to autoimmune disease. These are the only two fungi that can also be linked to MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity).

Link

A message from Missy Gluckmann: The fox is watching the hen house

07/08/08

Missy Gluckmann, the former Rockland Community College employee who was disabled by exposure to toxic mold in the building where she worked, has asked me to share this message with you. For background, see previous posts on The Canary Report here, here and here.

From Missy:

Friends,

Please read this link [to today's Journal News article] and see my comment - then can I ask you to please send a quick email that states something along these lines to the Rockland County legislator at legclerk@co.rockland.ny.us:

I am concerned about the safety of employees at Rockland Community College and request that Brucker Hall be closed while testing takes place. In addition, I am very unhappy that the biased county’s attorney is leading the investigation on illnesses in Brucker Hall - I request that a committee that represents all sides, including experts on mold and toxins, be formed to FAIRLY address this investigation and that the findings are swift and publicly released prior to July 30th. Please represent the PEOPLE, not the county’s insurance company! Per well documented reports, mycotoxins can permanently disable people with brain damage, respiratory disease and even cancer. Please act swiftly - lives are at stake.

Thank you for your support!!! Good health to each of you!

Missy

Also see The Canary Report post on dangers of mold following the Mississippi River flooding here.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead

Flood victims and the politics of toxic mold

07/08/08 The Environmental News Network explores the debate about toxic mold:

For days now, a swollen Mississippi River has menacingly roamed far from its banks, devouring large swatches of picturesque river towns and some of the Midwest’s best farmlands. While countless news organizations chronicle both the courage of those fighting ‘Big Muddy’s’ assault and the anguish of those wounded by it, another battle is about to begin. This battle will go all but unseen, for the struggle will be one of individual households against mold, mold that is both toxic and dangerous, though there are those who insist otherwise.

With an estimated 11 million people and nine Midwestern states impacted by the floods, the severe weather preceding them, or both, toxic mold questions have assumed new significance. A reading of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) mold concerns quickly helps one appreciate why.

According to an EPA website last updated April 30th: ‘Many symptoms and human health effects attributed to inhalation of mycotoxins have been reported including: mucous membrane irritation, skin rash, nausea, immune system suppression, acute or chronic liver damage, acute or chronic central nervous system damage, endocrine effects, and cancer.’ The EPA added, ‘it is clearly prudent to avoid exposure to molds and mycotoxins,’ and so performed an exercise in what should be obvious, but sometimes apparently is not.

Posing a dilemma for flood victims, some of those within the medical community have strongly downplayed toxic mold’s dangers. One highly circulated pronouncement - in a text specifically aimed at flood victims - reassured: ‘Although molds release natural toxins, called mycotoxins, these don’t cause problems to people who live in moldy houses because the toxins don’t diffuse into the air. The only way to be exposed to them is to swallow them.’ But there seems to be a problem with this.

Published research exists which directly contradicts such statements, with even the EPA’s just cited warning specifically mentioning the ‘inhalation of mycotoxins.’ It’s been repeatedly found that mycotoxins can be airborne, inhaled, and are dangerous, with research also indicating that mold can pose dangers to ‘immunocompetent,’ healthy, individuals.

Link

Related posts on mold here, here and here.

Missy kicks ass, forces former employer to fix sick building

I wrote yesterday about Missy Gluckmann, who suffers long term health problems following toxic mold exposure at her former workplace, Rockland Community College in New York. When last we left our heroine in the wee hours last night, she was preparing her testimony to be given at the County Legislature in New City tonight, where she would put pressure on the college to clean up their act and make the building safe for current employees.

Missy, along with her buddy Renee Pereira-Jersey, another employee with health problems caused by mold in the building, also wanted to put pressure on the county legislators themselves to do their job in protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public.

The local NBC affiliate covered the meeting this evening, click on the video above for the report.

Missy emailed me when she got home with the good news about the outcome:

We had a big win at the legislative meeting - the county lawyer pretty quickly spoke to say that the college (as of yesterday) had hired an environmental consulting firm out of PA to advise them on what to do/testing. They “promised to follow the recommendations of this company.”

The legislature has added the topic to a standing committee, so they will follow through and we are making sure that we have the ability to have a 2nd opinion on whatever the findings are.

While the bldg was not closed tonight, there is certainly enough out there for workers to ask to be moved if not feeling well - and hopefully they will advocate for themselves.

Missy is a true environmental warrior, fighting the good fight, even while struggling with serious health issues including breathing problems, rashes, ear pain, sinus issues, confusion, dizziness, numbness, short term memory loss, multiple chemical sensitivity and joint pain, all caused by the toxigenic mold exposure at Rockland.

I cannot express to you how much I admire this woman.

Hats off!

7/4 Update. More on Missy’s health issues here.

Mold at the center of controversy

Melissa Gluckmann of New York is fighting the good fight to get a sick building closed. The building where she started work in 2005 had been found to be contaminated with stachybotrys and other dangerous molds back in 2000 after an employee got very ill. There was a partial attempt to remedy the problem, but the money ran out and no attempt was made to secure more money to continue.

“Reports show all types of molds that were remediated and then show recommendations to avoid future mold, none of which were followed,” she told me in email correspondence today. “I have photos of leaks and water damage, as do others.”

After just two months in the building at Rockland Community College, Melissa tells me she ended up on oxygen, horribly sick. Three months later she suffered rashes, ear pain, sinus issues, confusion, dizziness, numbness, short term memory loss, multiple chemical sensitivity and joint pain. Finally, after tests showed toxigenic mold in her bloodstream, she moved out, eventually leaving the job.

But employees in the building are still getting sick. And so Melissa has taken up the cause to get the building closed — while still struggling herself with respiratory problems and MCS. Tuesday night she and others will again attempt to prompt elected officials to do their job to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.

The local NBC affiliate picked up the story (vid above, just click on photo):

June 26, 2008 The problem of toxic mold poisoning in Rockland Community College’s offices housed in Brucker Hall was to be the subject of a County Legislature Multi-Services Committee meeting yesterday, but several of the affected employees were denied a chance to speak when the Chairman Philip Soskin, D-Monsey, abruptly canceled the meeting after speaking to an attorney hired by the county Insurance Department.

Since 2007, nine worker’s compensation claims have been filed by employees based on exposure to mold and unidentified toxins. Eight employees, including executive officers, have been moved out of the 171-year-old Alms House that now serves as the college’s administration building.

Legislator Joseph Meyers, D-Airmont, had called for the hearing and was unhappy that the employees were not heard. On Tuesday, July 1st at 8pm, at the regular County Legislative meeting in New City, Melissa Gluckmann, perhaps the most seriously affected employee, will return with others to speak in the public comment portion of the meeting. She has written to her supporters asking them to come out and support her attempt to remove her co-workers still at risk in the building until some remedy for the situation is found.

Stay tuned.

Link, which came from this site.

No more fear

A young woman struggling with multiple chemical sensitivities blogs at the Gaia Community about overcoming fear. Despite respiratory damage from a traumatic mold exposure that leaves her feeling fatigued and frightened most of the time, she pulled herself together Sunday and headed out to the town pool to face the diving board. “My life is good,” she writes, “I just have to get used to the disability that I live with now. That is how I have to look at it, or it will consume me.”

And I saw the diving board staring at me saying “you can’t jump off of this - you’re afraid. What happens if you can’t breathe in deep enough? What happens if you swallow some water? What happens if (fill in the blank)??? Today, I said NO MORE FEAR. I went to the high diving board, wanted to cling on for dear life and said “don’t overthink this one” and just jumped. Hey, if the 8 year old kids can spend 40 minutes straight doing it, I could do one lousy jump. And I did! And while I was underwater it felt like I’d never have air again. But I didn’t panic. I just knew that I’d rise to the top and I’d be ok. And it was scary, but I DID IT. And even though for the 2 hours outside the house today I simply sat near the pool reading a book, used my inhaler to relieve the tightness in my chest and did have to come home and take a 2 hour nap, I overcame the fear of jumping off the board into deep water. Fear, you may have a grip on me 99% of the time, but today, I won over you! And I’ll keep fighting until you’re 1% of my day, not 99% of it.

Brava!

Link

Workers complain of mold, mystery toxins

Here’s a story about a sick building at a college in New York that’s had adverse health effects on employees. Please note that not all molds are toxigenic; these types of reports tend to lump all molds into one big toxic category, which can be misleading.

On Melissa Gluckmann’s last day at work at Rockland Community College, she said, half her face went numb and started to swell. Thinking she was having a stroke, she went to the emergency room. After that episode, she couldn’t get out of bed for two days, she said.

Gluckmann, 39, of Mount Kisco was diagnosed with permanent health problems, including brain damage, asthma, migraines and chemical sensitivities. Her specialist, Dr. Jaime Szeinuk, stated her condition was caused by mold exposure.

Although no mold was ever found there, she believed she was severely affected by mold in her office at Brucker Hall, the college’s 171-year-old administrative building. She resigned from the college as the international programs coordinator in February 2007 after four years there.

“I’ll never feel truly better, I’ll never return to the person I was before I went into that building,” she said.

Melissa Gluckmann herself left a comment today to this LoHud.com story:

Stachybotris is a very dangerous mold - I have it in my bloodstream as do other who worked in the bldg. It is not a strange coincidence; we all worked in Brucker. This mold does not grow in normal conditions; it takes some serious neglect (water damage, leaks, humidity) to flourish.

Please know that only 1 in 4 people are typically prone to an extreme reaction to mold - some people simply have symptoms that feel like allergies only, others blame it on pre-existing asthma, etc. For weeks I thought I must have caught a nasty cold from one of the students. Did you know that 80% of people who are poisoned by mold NEVER see the mold that disables them? This is my case - I did not see visible mold in Brucker (I did however see it in the basement of the library) - but this is not uncommon. Mold is made up of tiny spores - invisible to the eye, but can be very damaging. Cross contamination can happen very easily.

Closing a door in Renee’s old office is not a solution to dealing with the mold found there. Nor was closing the door in the old Financial Aid office in Brucker in 2000 - which was RCC’s response at the time; the mold can be spreading under the carpet. It can be in the air. People will still get sick. Prior to my own personal experience from this illness, I know little about mold illness - keep asking questions.

Link

Facts about mold

- Molds are fungi that can be found indoors or outdoors and grow best in warm, damp and humid conditions.
- Molds and mold spores are everywhere, though are usually at low enough levels that they don’t effect people’s health.
- For those sensitive to mold exposure, they can experience symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing or skin irritation. - More severe reactions include fever and shortness of breath, and rare conditions from toxigenic molds include pulmonary hemorrhage or memory loss.
- Mold can be reduced by keeping humidity levels low, using a humidifier during warmer months and maintaining adequate ventilation, especially in showers and cooking areas.

For more information, check www.cdc.gov/mold .

Source: The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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