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March7,2012

Dr.ChristopherJ.Portier

DirectorAgencyforToxicSubstanceandDiseaseRegistry

4770BufordHwyNE

Atlanta,Georgia30341

DoctorPortier:

OnDecember8,2011,theagencyunderyourdirectorshippublishedthedocumentANEVALUATIONOFENVIRONMENTALBIOLOGICALANDHEALTHDATAFROMTHEISLANDOFVIEQUES,PUERTORICO.Thisdocumentwas

issuedinresponsetoarequestfromCongressmanStevenRothmanforafresh

lookattheproblemofpublichealthintheislandofVieques.

Inthecourseofre-evaluatingthe2003reports,ATSDRheldclosedhearingsatitsofficesinAtlantaonNovember2009.There,byinvitationofDr.Howard

Frumkin,pastagencydirector,IhadtheopportunityofpresentingfieldworkdonebymylaboratoryinVieques(1999to2009)aswellasreviewingATSDR

reports.Insaidmeetingtechnicalsupportpersonnelfromyouragencywerealso

presentandhadtheopportunityofquestioningthemethodology,results,and

conclusionsofourscientificwork.

Imustremindyouthatfollowingmypresentation,whichemphasized

methodologicaldetailsaswellasaspectsofqualityassurance(QA)andquality

control(QC),noneofyourexpertswereabletoquestionneitherthemethodologyusednorourfindings.There,Ipersonallydelivered

complementaryinformationmeanttoclarifyandrefutecertainqualmsoverourscientificendeavorsbroachedin2001byanATSDRconsultant.Saidmisgivings

regardingmyresearchwereneverinformedtomepersonallyuntiltwoweeks

beforethe2009meeting.

TheinformationpresentedattheATSDRheadquartersincludedtheQA/QCplanwithfieldandtravelblanks,spikesandrecoveryassayswithreferencematerials,

calibrationcurves,chemicalsstandards,andsampleschainofcustody.

FollowingtheNovember2009meetingwereceivednofurtherpetitionfrom

youragencyregardinganytechnicaldetailwhatsoever,norwasanyrequestforadditionalinformationmade.

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Iremityoutothemeetingminutesaswellasthelistofparticipants,particularly

youragencyspersonnel.Likewise,Imustpointthatouranalysesincludedatleastthreerepetitionsoffieldsamplescollectedbyyourstrulyfrom3to10

individualsperanalysis,thatis,upto30observationsperspecieexamined.

Somelocationswerevisitedonmorethanoneoccasionsothatthereisdataavailableontemporalvariations.

NoneoftheanalysescarriedoutbyATSDRreachsuchlevelofscientificrigor.

Appallingly,ATSDRevenarrivesatconclusions,whichever,merelybyhavinglookedatasinglelobsterinagivenlocation,withsamplesofdeviousoriginsor

dataderivedfrommodelsasopposedtodirectfieldobservations.

InitsDecember2011report,ATSDRtimidlydiscussestheobservationscarried

outbyourlaboratory,recurringtothequestioningsof2001asabasisforits

criticismeventhoughourscientificworkwascompletedafterthisdate.Itiscommoninscientificreportstorequireclarificationinthefaceofcriticismraised

bypeers,butanyseriousscientificundertakingrequiresatminimumtheuseoftheevidencepresented.Worseyet,ATSDRfailedtopresentanyinformationat

allthatrefutedourfindingsonthebiomagnificationsofmetalsinthetissueofplantsandanimals.Nevertheless,insteadoftakingintoaccountsallofthe

informationavailable,ATSDRretakesitsbiasedversionof2003inaclearbreach

ofCongressmansRothmanorderforafreshlookatthesubjectofVieques.

Sincethe2009meetinginAtlantatwoyearswentbywithoutusreceivinganyformofcommunicationfromaworkgroupthatagreedtocarryoutitstechnical

evaluationinatransparentandparticipatorymanner.ATSDRsarbitraryactionclearlydemonstratestheintentionofevadingtheconsiderationoffieldworkforitsmeritsandimplications:thatmilitarycontaminantsmovethroughthefood

chaingainingaccesstothedietoftheresidentsofVieques.

ATSDRevidentlypracticesthescienceofdeceptionandsubterfuge,onethat

seeksoutwaysofavoidingtherecognitionofenvironmentalproblemsandtheirdirectlinktothedeterioratedhealthprofileofthepeopleofVieques.Thiskindof

junksciencestandsasanobstacletotheestablishmentofaproperpublichealthpolicyforVieques.Yournegligenceentailsthecontinuingexpositionofthe

peopleofViequestoclearlyidentifiablecontaminantsalongroutesthatcouldbe

cutoff.Thestoryissimilartothatofthedangersoftobaccoonhumanhealth.Thenthecoverupcausedcancer,death,andexpositionofthemostvulnerableto

lethaldosagesofthetoxicsincigarettes.Itwasnotuntilthegovernmentstartedusingtruesciencethatappropriatepublichealthpolicywasestablishedto

managetherisksassociatedtothismatter.

Likewise,ATSDRfailedtoidentifyatleastonelinkbetweenenvironmental

contaminationandproblemsofpublichealth.HowmanywarningshasATSDRissuedtopreventtheexposureofthosemostvulnerable?Howmanymore

peoplearesickinthefaceofATSDRsfailuretoidentifythesourcesofexposure

andpromotepreventionpracticesthathavebeenlackingforalmostadecade?HowmanylivescouldhavebeensavedifATSDRhaddoneitsworkcorrectly?

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ATSDRutilizesscientificlanguagetocoverupreality.Suchnegligencealmost

constitutesacriminalactagainstapeoplethatonlyseektoembracelife.Yourevaluationiscontradictoryandbiasedwhileyourconclusionslackscientific

rigor.Howcanabsenceofriskbeconcludedwhenyouignorethetotalityof

toxicsspilledbythemilitaryintheir60yearsofpractice?Toconcludethereisanabsenceoflinksbetweenpastmilitarypracticesontheislandwithproblemsof

publichealthisirresponsible.InthebestofcasesATSDRcouldhaveconcluded

ignorance.

ATSDRslackofcompliancehinderstheestablishmentofanappropriatepublic

healthpolicyandtheidentificationofspecificactionsofenvironmental

mitigationandrestorationthatcanpromoteaproperhealingfortheislandof

Vieques.

ThislatestevaluationofthehealthproblemsofthepeopleofViequesbyATSDRcomprisesamajoroffensetoourprofessionalscientistsandexemplifiesyour

contemptforthevalueofhumanlifeinPuertoRico.

Sincerely,

ArturoMassol-Dey,Ph.D.

Technical&ScientificCommission

CasaPuebloPOBOX704

Adjuntas,PuertoRico00601

Cc:

CeciliaMuoz(Cecilia_Munoz@who.eop.gov)

JudithEnck(enck.judith@epa.gov)

CongressmanSteveRothman(isaiah.wilson@mail.house.gov)

CongressmanLuisGutirrez(Enrique.Fernandez@mail.house.gov)

CongresswomanNydiaVelzquez(Maria-Elena.Juarez@mail.house.gov)CongressmanJosSerrano(idalia.marty@mail.house.gov)

ResidentCommissionerofPuertoRicoPedroPierlusi(john.laufer@mail.house.gov)