NCD980602163_19811022_Warren County PCB Landfill_SERB C_PCB Background - Roadside spills resident-OCR

, .. ecr 2 2 1sst_
\
PCB Background
4!o<> J e.; ~-~ ,· : _,., A.e. J ,' J. r ~ ~-
1. On the question of the allegations by Dr. Armstrong that the Jordan's
suffered froITT one stillbirth and gave birth to another child who was
grossly malformed and subsequently died because of PCB?
--We have checked this physician's fears against the most complete
and accurate scientific information available in the world and we have
been told by Dr. Renate Kimbrough, the leading national expert on PCBs
and thei·r health effects that the types of birth defects that have been
seen when individuals (both human and animal) have been exposed to PCBs
in massive amounts over long periods of times, as well as in lesser amounts
are--the infants are born of smaller birth weight than normal and they
sometimes have darker skin pigmentatio~ than normal. The only other
documented case of birth defects associated with PCB 1 s is in an early
set of experiments with rats. In these cases there was some evidence
of neurological impairment.
Dr. Kimbrough says that PCB has never been shown to cause the types of
birth defects seen in the Jordan baby and that the tests have been extensive
enough that some previous cases would have been seen. Dr. Kimbrough does
not feel that the Jordan baby problems were associated with PCB.
The jordan child had cleft 1 ip, cleft palate, congenital heart malformations,
congenital intestinal malformations but normal chromosomes. This would indicate
some type of toxic involvement but such defects have been seen in the case of
taking too much aspirin, diet soft drinks, smoking, drinking too much coffee and
other types of normal every day exposures.
2
2. On the question of health monitoring.
The state1 s position has been that the best people to monitor the health
of an individual patient is the individual 1 s own doctor. It is he who best knows
what health effects are unusual for him. All doctors in the state in practice
two years ago were sent descriptions of the symptoms of PCB exposure and laboratories
to which they could mail blood samples for tests if they felt the~ to be needed.
They were also asked to contact their local health department and the Division
of Health Services should they suspect involvement. Over the past two years fewer
than a half dozen cases have been reported by physicians and all have been checked out.
Mrs. Jordan herself contacted the Division of Health Services and state
follow-ups were made. There has been no indication of any PCB related illness in
North Carolina. Dr. Armstrong is a young doctor and the state was only informed
of her concerns in the Greensboro Sunday article. She has been contacted daily by
health officials in an attempt to follow up on her concerns.
3. On the question of general monitoring.
--The state conducted continuous surveillance for several months following
the PCB incident on wells, animals, vegetation. Those tests showed no change
over those months. Now monitoring is done when requested. There is sti 11 no change.
Of the over 80 wells that have been monitored for PCB only one well has ever ;
shown any change in the PCB level. This was the well referred to in the
Greensboro Daily News article. It showed a level of .25 parts per bi 11 ion. This
is one-fourth the amount needed before any action is recommended by the Center
for Disease Control. This well was contaminated when a garden hose broke and washed
contaminated soil into the well. With that exception, all indications are that the
PCB has stayed exactly where it was placed, that it has not migrated and that it is
causing no health problems.
OCT 2 2 1980
Despite the article in the News and Observer, essentially the
deinstitutionalization record of North Carolina is one of the best in the
country. We have not had situations here in which mental patients have been
released from hospitals with no place to go and no treatment at all. The effort
here, is so successful, in fact, that we now have placed into many good community
programs all but the chronically mentally i 11. The community programs are now full
and are becoming overburdened and I feel that new community programs need to be put
into place to assure consistent, supportive treatment of the chronically mentally
ill when they. return to their hometowns. am now examining proposals to provide
funds to do just this. I would also like to point out that the chronically mentally
ill are dangerous to anyone but themselves through self-neglect and this behavior
ca n be controlled with appropriate treatment.
But there is another issue that must be addressed soon which involves another
group of patients--those who are violent and aggressive and are committed to
institutions under the present involuntary commitment law. The current law bends
over backwards to protect individual liberties of patients and in so doing does not
adequately address the need of the public to feel secure from dangerously assaultive
people, nor the need of the patient for protection against his or her own violent
acts. I think we need to reexamine that law and make provisions so that the violent
and aggressive individual can receive needed treatment in appropriate and restrictive
environments. This would protect the safety of both the patient and the public.