Hello again Ernie,I promptly receive your original message. Thanks much.
I did some research on the web site (epa.gov:80/superfund) and did not find anything specifically on lawsuits. I hate to admit it but I am just so tired most of the time that I haven't done any additional research other than the web. Your response had deflated me somewhat. I was just hoping that you knew of some action that I could join. Bayou Vista was the only place I lived that had pollution. I have lived the most of my adulthood on the outskirts of Austin, with the exception of two years in Tahoe.
I went to the lung specialist in hopes that they would do some type of toxicology tests on my lungs but he said that he knew of none and dismissed the idea that it could have been caused by chemical pollution. They ran pfs's on me and told me that I had COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and that it was very rare in someone of my age. So here I am, no better than before. My allergist has put me on a powerful antibiotic. It is something I had seen on the net and had suggested to the doctor (they have never tried it - but knew that the Jewish lung clinic in Co had researched it). I take it for two months, have 3 wks to go and it is supposed to kill the micro plasma (sp?) in the lungs. The cure is almost as bad as the ill! haha.
Anyway, here I am droning on. I am doing better, more exercise helps. My sister is doing worse every time I see her. I am certain that she has emphysema, and she is a smoker. You know, I always thought my mom would die of drinking but lung cancer took her in her mid 60's. It just seems so young.
I've got to go now.
Thank you again for our help Ernie. I will ask my sister to go to the library on her next day off to see she can locate anything. Will advise!
--Susan, 28 April 1999
Read your commentary; nice example of not being able to tell an apple from an orange. How are you doing? Doing much running? How's the virtual consulting going? Drop me a line when you get a minute.
--John F. (Rick) Greiner, Conoco Inc., 7 July 1999
Our country home sits 5 miles from a Class One Toxic Spill which occurred last week in our county. A Wolverine pipeline leaked thousands of gallons of gasoline (at first report it was 500,000 gallons. 1200 people evacuated from 600 homes and businesses due to fear of explosions because of the holding tanks. The gasoline spilled went into the Rives-Blackman Drain. Some of the spill went into the Grand River which runs through Jackson, Michigan and curls to the Northwest and is about 2 miles from our house eventually. Three families can never return to their homes because they are so toxic. The EPA and Coast Guard were here.People are being told not to drink their well water from the affected area. My husband and I became suspicious about being told the truth concerning this situation after the first night when the local news interviewed a professor of toxicology from Michigan State University who stated that animals and the water would not be affected because it was just like if your boat leaked some gas into a lake--it would dissipate!
The Health Department gave me no absolute answers except that the groundwater flows to the Northeast and East of the spill. We are Northwest but at the Eastern border. Right now, we are using bottled water for ourselves and our dogs and the birdbath. I was told we had to test our own water (at a cost of $75-180 per test) every time we test.
My questions are:
1. Has any spill ever contaminated groundwater in any area different from where the groundwater flowed and was to be expected?
2. If we need to be concerned about contamination of our well how often should we test our water? Would we for sure smell or taste the gasoline if it came into our drinking water?
3. Where can I find more info on this subject?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
--Anonymous, MI, 20 June 2000
Hi! Thanks so much for responding and for all the valuable information. It is so nice to know that kind people such as yourself still exist! Others have responded as well and I am saving all the information. I will do a letter to the editor to help others and give them the websites people have given me. We have lots of cancer in our family so we prefer to err on the side of caution and will continue with the bottled water at least for now. Most of the professionals that emailed me agree that it would be a slight chance we would be contaminated but no one has said absolutely we can't be. Thanks so much once again and have a nice night!
--Anonymous, 26 June 2000
Thanks so much! I just reserved a copy at a much higher price at the bookstore (still not used to internet and didn't think to check there!) Ironically, I had always meant to buy the book before. Have a great day and thanks again--I have heard from such nice people who gave me great ideas to pass on to others.
--Anonymous, 27 June 2000
I read the Technical Commentary in the NGWA journal last summer (my first issue as a new member). As a relatively new engineer doing GW work, I wasn't too comfortable with the "plug in the numbers and pop out an answer" model I worked with (Solute) that the regulators wanted to see. I often thought that they probably didn't have a great appreciation for the number spit out of the Solute model (or wondered how could they, with all the assumptions). I appreciated your comments on the subject...
--Shannon, 4 January 2000
I live in Jackson, MI where the Wolverine Pipe Line had a Rupture June 7, 2000.I tried some research today on a search engine and found this page: http://www.bac-ground.com/comments/commentsP01.html
I really don't know about your site but am curious. I can't seem to get to your HomePage. I am having a 4th dog with bleeding problems since May of last year. One died May 24th, another was bleeding after coming home after the spill (Stopped a month after I kept him from drinking my pond water), another in Feb. and now another one with low blood counts. I need to know how Benzine works. Health Dept. has no want to help us. They read things on how thing work from books. I know something is wrong! We have lived in our house for 24 years and never had more than normal dog diseases and I am lost on what to do!
Could you please let me know how to find your HomePage on what your site is?
Thank you so much!!
--Carolyn, 23 August 2001
