Respuesta científica de Casa Pueblo y Arturo Massol sobre conclusiones de Vieques a la ATSDR
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Transcript of Respuesta científica de Casa Pueblo y Arturo Massol sobre conclusiones de Vieques a la ATSDR
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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([email protected])
JudithEnck([email protected])
CongressmanSteveRothman([email protected])
CongressmanLuisGutirrez([email protected])
CongresswomanNydiaVelzquez([email protected])CongressmanJosSerrano([email protected])
ResidentCommissionerofPuertoRicoPedroPierlusi([email protected])
