Polycythemia vera patient from Hometown area dies
The following story is by Sue Sturgis and is posted on her Hometown Hazards web site, www.hometownhazards.com:
He survived the D-Day landing at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge only to spend the last years of his life debilitated by polycythemia vera — a disease likely caused by his heavily polluted environment.
Lester Barney Kester, a resident of the Ben Titus Road community north of Hometown, passed away at his home three days ago, according to his published obituary. He was 84. Among Kester’s survivors is his wife, Betty, who also suffers from the rare blood malignancy.
The fact that two genetically unrelated people in one household were both diagnosed with the disease helped draw attention to what appeared to be the area’s unusually high rate of PV — an appearance that has since been confirmed as fact. Unfortunately, public health officials and political leaders have so far failed to take any action to address the problem, which independent scientists say appears to be environmental in origin. The Kesters live just downhill from the McAdoo Associates Superfund site, a former chemical dumping ground for some of America’s biggest corporations; the Northeastern Power Co. waste-coal-burning power plant; and an enormous coal combustion waste dump dubbed “the Big Gorilla.”
Mrs. Kester recently told the Philadelphia Inquirer that doctors “flipped out” when her husband was diagnosed with the disease two years after her, so astounded were they to see two cases in one family. She admitted to feeling bitter over having their retirement years ruined by the disease but observed that at least they were up in years when diagnosed:
“I’m thinking of the children,” she said. “We’re old, we’re ready to die. But the children that are coming up — I’d like something done for them, if possible.”
There will be visitation with the Kester family from 6 to 8 p.m. [on January 25, 2008] at the Lamar Christ Funeral Home in Hometown. My thoughts and prayers are with the family, and with all of those whose lives have been touched by the region’s environmental crisis.
Making Homes Greener and Safer From Radon
Contact: Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543, smith.bonnie@epa.gov
Only smoking causes more lung cancer than radon
PHILADELPHIA (January 16, 2008) For people who are shopping for new homes, EPA has some good news. Radon-resistant construction practices are being used more frequently in new homes built throughout the country.
Radon is a cancer-causing naturally occurring gas that enters homes through foundation cracks, drains, and openings. Although you can’t see, smell, or taste radon, it can reach harmful levels if trapped indoors. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers and claims 20,000 lives every year.
“It’s never too late to reduce your risk of lung cancer.Don’t wait another day. Test your home for radon,” said EPA Regional Administrator Donald S. Welsh. “And, if you are building a new home, use the radon-resistant construction practices.”
Radon-resistant construction techniques help reduce radon infiltration into a home.The techniques include gas permeable layers beneath the home’s slab, plastic sheeting, sealing and caulking, a vent pipe to redirect radon, a fan and junction box.
It is more cost-effective to use radon-resistant techniques while building a home, than it is to install in an existing home. For new homes, materials and labor costs are $350 to $500 compared to retrofitting an existing home for $800 to $2,500.Techniques vary slightly for different foundations and site requirements. The techniques may also increase your home’s energy efficiency.
Based on the most recent analysis by the National Association Home Builders Research Center of homes built during 2001, 65,000 new homes incorporated radon-resistant features.This is six percent of the 1,124,000 new single-family detached homes built.
Whether your new home is new construction or not, EPA encourages you to test it for radon. A simple home test costs less than $25 and testing is the only way to detect radon levels. If your home is not new, a radon mitigation system can also be installed if your radon test levels are above the recommended levels of 4 pCi/l.
For tips about test kits and finding a qualified professional to fix a radon problem, contact your state’s radon program at www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html or visit the National Safety Council Web site at http://www.nsc.org/Pages/Home.aspx.
For more information about radon, visit EPA’s Web site at www.epa.gov/radon or contact the radon program in each state, at www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html. You can also call National Safety Council’s radon hotlines: 1-800-SOS-RADON (24 hour recording) or 1-800-55-RADON (to speak with a specialist), or 1-866-528-3187 (for Spanish speakers).
Water is Precious
Many of us are familiar with the verse “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink” from the poem: “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. Most of us, however, probably dont realize how true those words are in terms of the amount of freshwater available to us.
Have you ever wondered where our water is stored? As you probably guessed, most of it is in the oceans. In fact, over 97% of all water on the planet is too salty for us to drink. Of the remaining 3% that is freshwater, about 2% is tied up in ice caps and glaciers and about 0.9% is stored as water in the ground. That leaves less than 0.1% of the worlds total water supply to be split up between rivers, lakes, and the atmosphere (stored as water vapor)!
More information about the water cycle can be found at: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html