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> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <beneficialbug@...>
> To: <BayCanaryGrapevine@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 11:36 PM
> Subject: Fw: A GLASS OF WATER, A MOTHER'S WORST FEAR
>
>
> > Digging through old emails to dig up some things we need to access
for
> East
> > Bay Pesticide Alert's work, I came across this which I thought
people on
> > this list might find useful.
> >
> > Max Ventura
> >
> > From several years ago:
> >
> > > >
> > > > A GLASS OF WATER, A MOTHER'S WORST FEAR
> > > >
> > > > Date: 020211
> > > > From: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
> > > >
> > > > IN HAMPTON ROADS, STUDIES OF MISCARRIAGES CAUSE CONCERN,
> > > > SPARK LAWSUITS
> > > >
> > > > By Anita Huslin, Washington Post Staff Writer, February 10,
2002
> > > >
> > > > Annette Spaven already had three children when she found out
she
was
> > > > pregnant again four years ago.
> > > >
> > > > She and her husband were surprised but pleased by the prospect
of
> > > > welcoming another child into their Chesapeake, Va., home. So
when
she
> > > > suffered a miscarriage in the first trimester, they tried
again.
> > > >
> > > > Six months later, she lost another baby.
> > > >
> > > > "I wondered if something was wrong with me," said Spaven, 38.
> > > >
> > > > About the same time, two women on her block had miscarriages.
Across
> > > > town, a woman gave birth to a boy who died shortly after birth.
For
> > > > more than a decade, they and others wondered why they'd
suddenly
lost
> > > > their pregnancies.
> > > >
> > > > Today, many are also wondering something else: Might they have
lost
> > > > their babies simply because they drank tap water while they
were
> > > > pregnant? It's a question that has roiled this booming port
community
> > > > ever since residents became aware of controversy surrounding
chemicals
> > > > in the public drinking supply. Now, 25 women are suing the
city, and
> > > > nearly 170 more have filed their intentions to do so.
> > > >
> > > > Fueling their fears are a growing number of studies that link
birth
> > > > defects and miscarriages to chemicals that are produced when
chlorine,
> > > > used to purify drinking water, mixes with organic matter, such
as
> > > > fertilizer in surface water.
> > > >
> > > > Chemical and water industry officials maintain that the body
of
> > > > scientific evidence linking so-called chlorination byproducts
to
> > > > adverse birth effects is inconclusive.
> > > >
> > > > "To have liability, in our opinion, you have to prove there's
a
cause
> > > > and an effect," Chesapeake city attorney Ronald Hallman said.
"I
> > > > haven't seen any study that has proven a causal connection."
> > > >
> > > > In a statement last month, the Environmental Protection Agency
called
> > > > the issue of chlorination byproducts in drinking water "an
important
> > > > health concern." The federal agency will be proposing new water
> > > > quality reporting requirements for utilities this summer and
plans
to
> > > > fund further research.
> > > >
> > > > Meanwhile, however, millions of Americans are unaware of what
their
> > > > water utilities know: The levels of chlorination byproducts in
their
> > > > drinking water often spike higher than the EPA's allowable
annual
> > > > average.
> > > >
> > > > This happens as well throughout the Washington area, utility
records
> > > > show, though the EPA does not require the information to be
included
> > > > in regular water quality reports from utilities.
> > > >
> > > > Chesapeake residents learned about the problem only when the
city's
> > > > public health director issued a bulletin about it. And then
more
> > > > stories from women like Spaven started to come out. And so did
the
> > > > lawyers.
> > > >
> > > > Now, the Hampton Roads city has become a test case for the
nation.
> > > > Water utility operators across the country, including the
Washington
> > > > Suburban Sanitary Commission, are watching to see what becomes
of
the
> > > > lawsuits.
> > > >
> > > > The women are alleging that the city did not adequately warn
them
> > > > about potentially harmful levels of toxins in their water,
sometimes
> > > > nearly 10 times higher than the danger level identified in the
largest
> > > > public health study to date.
> > > >
> > > > Chesapeake documents obtained by the women's attorneys show
that
the
> > > > city had seen significant spikes in chlorination byproducts
since
the
> > > > early 1980s.
> > > >
> > > > No comprehensive study of the city's miscarriage or birth
defect
> > > > rates has ever been done, so it is impossible to draw a
comparison
> > > > between the period when the byproducts were spiking and when
they
were
> > > > not. Nationally, about one in six women suffer miscarriage,
according
> > > > to federal statistics. The first 25 women suing all suffered
> > > > miscarriages in the mid- to late 1990s. The 168 other cases
date to
> > > > the 1980s. Altogether, attorneys are seeking nearly $1 billion
in
> > > > damages.
> > > >
> > > > "I just hope that . . . people will pay attention to what's
going
on
> > > > in their cities," Spaven said. "No one should have to go
through
what
> > > > we have."
> > > >
> > > > First Reports
> > > >
> > > > Nancy Welch, the director of the Chesapeake Public Health
Department,
> > > > hadn't even heard of chlorination byproducts or the term
> > > > "trihalomethanes" - also known as THMs - before the city's
public
> > > > utilities director came to her office one day in early February
1998
> > > > with a problem.
> > > >
> > > > The city was preparing to tear down two purifying towers at
its
water
> > > > processing plant to make way for a system that would help solve
> > > > chronic water quality problems.
> > > >
> > > > Seated near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, the city for
> > > > yearsstruggled to manage the salt that rises with the tides.
Until
it
> > > > built the two towers, it had also quietly grappled with the
problem
of
> > > > THMs. Now, it was going to tear down the towers. Once that
happened,
> > > > chlorine byproduct levels could rise precipitously, perhaps
even
> > > > exceeding EPA limits, utility director Amar Dwarkanath said.
> > > >
> > > > The city planned to ask for a waiver of EPA water quality
standards,
> > > > at least during this phase of construction, but it would need a
letter
> > > > from Welch supporting the request.
> > > >
> > > > And there was one more thing.
> > > >
> > > > Dwarkanath gave Welch a copy of a report that was about to be
> > > > published in the medical journal Epidemiology.
> > > >
> > > > It was a study done in California, where Department of Health
> > > > Services researchers followed more than 5,000 pregnant women.
They
> > > > found that those who drank five or more glasses of tap water a
day
> > > > containing 75 or more parts per billion of chlorination
byproducts
> > > > were 65 percent more likely to suffer a miscarriage. Pregnant
women
> > > > are generally advised by their doctors to drink at least eight
eight-
> > > > ounce glasses of a water to avoid dehydration. And now
Chesapeake
was
> > > > facing the very real possibility that its tap water would
become
awash
> > > > with consistently high THMs, possibly even for months.
> > > >
> > > > Welch examined the research closely, then called some
colleagues
for
> > > > advice. Half said they would inform the public; half said they
> > > > wouldn't.
> > > >
> > > > On March 24, 1998,Welch wrote a letter to Dwarkanath with her
> > > > conclusions, suggesting that the city ensure that pregnant
women who
> > > > got their water from the Chesapeake plant use bottled water. On
March
> > > > 31, 1998, she sent a public health bulletin to family
practitioners,
> > > > OB-GYNs, internists and the media, urging pregnant women who
drink
> > > > five or more glasses of water a day to drink primarily bottled
water
> > > > and to boil their tap water for a minute or install a tap
filter.
> > > >
> > > > Almost immediately, the phones started ringing. Worried
pregnant
> > > > women called, and so did those who had lost babies, wondering
aloud
if
> > > > the water might have been the reason.
> > > >
> > > > Welch could not answer all of their questions. But, she said,
she
> > > > believed the California study raised enough questions to
warrant
> > > > warning the public about THMs. But there are many reasons
miscarriages
> > > > occur, she pointed out, and it's often difficult to pinpoint
one.
> > > >
> > > > "When there's a limited amount of research, you go with what
you
> > > > have," she said. "I'll never apologize for informing the
public."
> > > >
> > > > But to determine whether THMs absolutely cause miscarriage or
birth
> > > > defects, she said, "you've got to do more research . . . and
that
> > > > takes time."
> > > >
> > > > After a few weeks, Welch's phones quieted down and things at
the
> > > > Chesapeake public health department got back to normal.
> > > >
> > > > But in the community, people were sharing stories. Stories
like
those
> > > > told by Marcy Shaffer, now 38, who lived in Chesapeake and gave
birth
> > > > to Peter just before Christmas in 1997.
> > > >
> > > > He was born with just a bundle of nerve endings in his
half-formed
> > > > skull. He lived for a couple of hours, long enough for her to
wrap
him
> > > > in a white blanket and for her family to say their goodbyes.
> > > >
> > > > About the time of Spaven's miscarriages, two neighbors across
the
> > > > street also lost their babies. After carrying her baby for 8
1/2
> > > > months, Shelley Rapada, now 22, gave birth to Haley Renee in
the
> > > > spring of 1998, then buried her in a tiny ivory- colored casket
at
the
> > > > foot of her grandmother's grave. Her best friend, Michelle
Rapada,
now
> > > > 21, suffered two miscarriages that fall.
> > > >
> > > > In conversations during lunch breaks, after church or over
coffee
> > > > with a neighbor, more accounts were circulating. It would not
be
long
> > > > before someone would try to piece it all together.
> > > >
> > > > Legal Implications
> > > >
> > > > The cases started coming to Louis Napoleon "Mike" Joynes in
the
same
> > > > way that most business arrives at his firm.
> > > >
> > > > The Joynes & Gaides law office sits at a busy intersection
near the
> > > > edge of Chesapeake, and the increasing traffic in what is the
fastest-
> > > > growing city in Virginia provides at least one new customer a
week.
> > > >
> > > > It was one of these clients, an auto accident victim, who
mentioned
> > > > his wife's miscarriage to Joynes and asked: Could that have had
> > > > something to do with the city water?
> > > >
> > > > Joynes, who had not paid close attention to the public health
> > > > bulletin, said he'd look into it.
> > > >
> > > > So he called up a colleague at Willcox & Savage, an old
Virginia
blue
> > > > blood firm with several lawyers who focus on environmental law.
They
> > > > were familiar with THMs and the issues associated with them, so
they
> > > > began researching the city's water situation.
> > > >
> > > > "What we discovered was that the levels of THMs in Chesapeake
were
> > > > some of the highest we'd ever heard of - 700, 800 parts per
billion,"
> > > > said Gary Bryant, who specializes in environmental litigation.
> > > >
> > > > He had spoken to some experts in environmental health who were
> > > > familiar with the research on the issue and their response was
the
> > > > same: "They were pretty much shocked by this," Bryant said.
"All of
> > > > the scientific reports showing health impacts from THMs
involved
> > > > levels much lower than what we were seeing here."
> > > >
> > > > But little of that information has reached the public
anywhere. In
> > > > Montgomery County, officials recently started asking questions
about
> > > > THMs at a special hearing called after utility data obtained by
> > > > Environmental Working Group, a chemical industry watchdog,
revealed
> > > > THM spikes in water supplied by WSSC.
> > > >
> > > > Officials at WSSC, which provides water and sewer services to
1.6
> > > > million residents in the Washington area, acknowledged that the
spikes
> > > > were a concern but noted that the utility continues to meet EPA
water
> > > > quality standards.
> > > >
> > > > The Chlorine Chemistry Council, a national trade group,
maintains
> > > > that the research to date "has been inadequate to definitively
> > > > demonstrate an association" between THMs and birth defects,
> > > > miscarriages and stillbirths.
> > > >
> > > > In Chesapeake, lawyers wondered just how many women could have
been
> > > > affected. In July 2000, Joynes & Gaides started running
television
and
> > > > radio ads seeking women who had suffered miscarriages or
delivered
> > > > babies with birth defects.
> > > >
> > > > And the phones started ringing again.
> > > >
> > > > 'All This Pain'
> > > >
> > > > Annette Spaven was one of the hundreds of women who called.
The ads
> > > > didn't say anything about Chesapeake water, but she wondered if
that
> > > > was behind it all.
> > > >
> > > > She had grown up in Chesapeake, then moved away after getting
> > > > married. In 1993, after moving back to Chesapeake, the couple
had
> > > > their third and, they thought, last child. When Spaven
unexpectedly
> > > > became pregnant in 1997, something wasn't right.
> > > >
> > > > She started cramping and bleeding one morning, so she went to
the
> > > > hospital, where doctors ordered an ultrasound. The results
showed
> > > > simply a mass of tissue growing in her womb, with none of the
early
> > > > signs of a baby that they would have expected.
> > > >
> > > > Hours later, she suffered a miscarriage.
> > > >
> > > > Later that year, she got pregnant again. This time, she said,
she
> > > > worked very hard to make sure she did everything right,
including
> > > > drinking more than the recommended eight glasses of water a
day.
When
> > > > she had cravings, she ate ice - lots of it - from the ice-maker
in
her
> > > > freezer.
> > > >
> > > > In early 1998, she miscarried again.
> > > >
> > > > "That was it for me," she said. "I wasn't going to try again."
> > > >
> > > > Then, when the television ads came out, she started wondering
and
> > > > turned to the Internet for answers. What she found infuriated
her.
> > > >
> > > > "I couldn't believe it. I'd sit there every night and tell my
> > > > husband, 'Look at this stuff.' All these people, all this
pain."
> > > >
> > > > The first lawsuit was filed last April, and a hearing date has
been
> > > > scheduled for September. City attorneys are trying to block the
case
> > > > by arguing that the plaintiff filed her lawsuit more than two
years
> > > > after her miscarriage, too late for what the law requires.
> > > >
> > > > A court date for Spaven's case has not yet been set. In some
ways,
> > > > she said, she believes the outcome of her case is unimportant.
When
> > > > you've lost two pregnancies, nothing will change that. But her
story
> > > > and those of other women should be heard, she said, to warn the
public
> > > > about these once-obscure chlorination byproducts.
> > > >
> > > > "You just take for granted . . . that you never have to
second-guess
> > > > what's in your water," she said.
> > > >
> > > > In January 1999, Spaven moved to Virginia Beach. Ten months
later,
> > > > she delivered Kerrigan, a healthy baby girl.
> > > >
> > > > * * *
> > > >
> > > > (C) 2002 The Washington Post Company
> > > >
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