Monday, April 18, 2001
Senator Clinton
405 Lexington Ave, 62nd Floor
New York, New York 10741
(518) 431 -0120
Senator Clinton:
There are Two Points That have to be addressed to make the 49 USC CHAPTER 57 - SANITARY FOOD TRANSPORTATION function able.
The First point is to write an amendment to Sec. 5706. Dedicated vehicles and aggressively lobby it into law. This should not be to hard because in 1994, when Congress rewrote "The Sanitary Food Transportation Laws", Congress sounded upset, Sec. 5701. Findings
-STATUTE-
Congress finds that -
(1) the United States public is entitled to receive food and other consumer products that are not made unsafe because of certain transportation practices;
(2) the United States public is threatened by the transportation of products potentially harmful to consumers in motor vehicles and rail vehicles that are used to transport food and other consumer products; and
(3) the risks to consumers by those transportation practices are unnecessary and those practices must be ended.
Yet, when Congress finished they left many loopholes, the worse being not supplying a way to uphold Sec. 5706. Dedicated vehicles
-STATUTE-
(a) Prohibitions. - The regulations prescribed under section 5703(a)(1) of this title shall include provisions prohibiting a person from using, offering for use, or arranging for the use of a motor vehicle or rail vehicle to transport asbestos, in forms or quantities the Secretary of Transportation decides are necessary, or products that present an extreme danger to humans or animals, despite any decontamination, removal, disposal, packaging, or other isolation procedures, unless the motor vehicle or rail vehicle is used only to transport one or more of the following: asbestos, those extremely dangerous products, or refuse.
(b) List of Applicable Products. - After consultation required by section 5709 of this title, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a list of the products to which this section applies. The Secretary may amend the list periodically by publication in the Federal Register.
As you can see Asbestos is clearly written as a product that presents an extreme danger to humans or animals. On June 6, 2000 I wrote Congressman Sweeny and told him that the company I was contracted to (MPC trucking) hauled asbestos, and that WR Grace had their employees load these trailers with Styrofoam food trays to be delivered to the Northeast (NY,CT, RI, MA, NH VT) from 1990 to1992 that I know of. I was forced to leave my profession, at the time we though I was contaminated by an unknown substance, Now I know it was the Styrofoam trays that ended my career as a truck driver/owner operator. I found out that Congressman Sweeny is co-sponsor of a bill in Congress that will LIMIT the LIABILITY to the Companies for ASBESTOS EXPOSURE. See my web page: http://www.mhonline.net/~bebear/Bearspage/Index.htm
Click on: Proposed amendment to Sanitary Transportation Law and you will find the article. I have come to the conclusion that Congressman Sweeny is more concerned about companies then he is about the health of his constituents.
On Monday April 2 7:24 PM ET (The New York Times) WR Grace filed for Chapter11 bankruptcy protection because of a rising number of asbestos-related injury claims. ``We believe that the state court system for dealing with asbestos claim is broken, and that Grace cannot effectively defend itself against unmeritorious claims,'' Paul Norris, Grace's chairman, president and chief executive said. This is the some company that had their employees load their Styrofoam food trays packaged in perforated plastic bags directly on the floor of the trailer after these trailers have hauled asbestos. These trailers had driveway sealer and roof coating with asbestos in it all over the floors. This has been against the law since 1990,and my records start in 1990 (see Spreadsheets).
The second point is to deem the Styrofoam food containers unfit to package food because they leach styrene. Styrene flavoring should also be taken off the market due to its adverse effects. I wrote a term paper (see Attached), which I am basing my questions from to point out the adverse effects. I would like you to keep in mind that poisons affect the children, the elderly, and the people with immune deficiencies the hardest. You also have to remember that there are forms of styrene that we are not able to avoid like: Breathing indoor air that is contaminated with styrene vapors from building materials, consumer products, and automobile exhaust.
Since ATSDR and the EPA have linked Styrene to cigarette smoke why are we feeding Styrene to our children and elderly?
In this area the local school cooks the food at the high school and ships the HOT FOOD to the two elementary schools in Styrofoam containers.
The Polystyrene Packaging Council says that the meal on wheels program uses Styrofoam containers to keep the FOOD HOT until its delivered.
In one of their older web pages The Polystyrene Packaging Council, "Polystyrene has a relatively low melting temperature which limits it application to cold or low temperature usage." Why are they being used to deliver HOT FOOD or serve HOT FOODS ,coffee hot tea ect…, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's and restaurants like Red Lobster? Especially to children and the elderly!
Absorption - Styrene is absorbed into the body following oral or inhalation exposure. A peak blood level of 6 micrograms/mL was reached within minutes (ATSDR 1992).
The EPA states Birth weights of the offspring among female workers exposed to styrene in the plastics industry was compared. A 4% lower birth weight was detected in babies from women who worked at the most highly- exposed jobs (estimated at 82 ppm), Some studies have suggested an increased risk of spontaneous abortion among female workers.
Is this what our children have to look forward to from eating there meals off Styrofoam containers and eating food flavored with Styrene?
If <1 ppm for 1-36 years (the higher the ppm the worst medical problems become for adults) has an effect on adults what kind of effect is the FDA looking for in our children before it takes Styrofoam containers and food flavored with Styrene off the market?
Occupational studies in adults show styrene to be a neurotoxicant with effects such as headache, fatigue, weakness, depression, and peripheral neuropathy.
What is Styrene doing to our children's neurological system?
Several studies have reported an increase in leukemia and lymphoma among workers in the styrene manufacturing industry. However, the studies were inadequate because multiple chemical (e.g., benzene and butadiene) exposures were not addressed as stated by the EPA.
Yet, the The Polystyrene Packaging Council In one of their older web pages they stated "Polystyrene may be expanded into a foam to make Styrofoam. Polystyrene is similar to PVC except that the Cl is replaced by a benzene ring."
I feel that this is significant to show the connection of the multiple chemical being benzene.
All these school shootings that are taking place are they random acts of violence? Could it be children over whelmed with depression do to chemical poisoning! You have to remember these children are ages 13 to 17 years of age this means they are going through puberty and already having a hard time with life. You add the chemical poisoning to puberty and its no wonder that are teens are more aggressive and violent. I'm not saying I have the answers, what I am saying is lets look into this. Trying these children as adults instead of going after the companies that are poisoning them is wrong. Above I showed you where the president of WR Grace stated ``We believe that the state court system for dealing with asbestos claim is broken, and that Grace cannot effectively defend itself against unmeritorious claims,'' Paul Norris, Grace's. Then I showed you how WR Grace had their employees load trailers that not only hauled asbestos but had asbestos in the roof coating that had spilled and dried to the floor. What WR Grace's employees were loading was the Styrofoam food trays packaged in perforated plastic bags directly on the floor of these trailers. If you had read the about Woburn, MA(http://www.civil-action.com/civilaction/ ) You sould read (http://www2.shore.net/~dkennedy/woburn.html ) from a reporters view. As far as the Libby MT and WR Grace Poisoning the people with asbestos, what I interpret was WR Grace feels that because at the time they stayed within the bounds of the law they shouldn't be held responsible. As a New Yorker this sounds like GE and the Hudson River.
As I've stated I suffer from styrene poisoning, I know the affect it has on my life. I have to be a where of all the ingredients in my food, but that has been made impossible due to the lack of having styrene labeled as an ingredient. At least now I know to stay away from Styrofoam containers.
As far as if the trucking industry is still hauling food in trailers that haul toxic items such as cement the answer is yes. I have the name of the trucking company that hauls primarily cement but when things get slow he takes the cement tank trailer to ADM in Hudson NY and hauls flour and cornmeal. He has 10 or 12 trucks. This is why the amendment to Sec. 5706. Dedicated vehicles is needed.
I am still waiting for a response I sent on Tuesday, January 23, 2001. I would also like a response to this letter so I know you received it.
Respectfully
Charles Lake
cc:
Senator Schumer
Congressman Sweeney
FDA, EPA, USDA, NYAG,
State/Assembly Representatives
Faso, McNulty, Salan