Sunday, January 10, 2016

The Lawyer Who Became Dupont's Worst Nightmare


"Rob Bilott was a corporate defense attorney for eight years. Then he took on an environmental suit that would upend his entire career — and expose a brazen, decades-long history of chemical pollution."

By NATHANIEL RICH, New York Times, Jan. 6, 2016

Another in-depth report in the tradition of Steven Brill's brilliant account of America's Most Admired Lawbreaker, Nathaniel Rich paints a riveting portrait and account of corporate attorney Rob Bilott taking the case of a cattle farmer who called about his cows mysteriously dying. Years of digging let to discovery of the cause: wide scale poisoning from PFOA-tainted water from DuPont's landfill from Teflon production. Long after DuPont learned of PFOA's health hazards, they buried the data and denied the links - and the responsibility. Federal, state and local regulators repeatedly sided with DuPont's claims of safety over citizens' and scientists' claims of harm. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is now recognized by EPA as a health risk. 

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Breaking News: Genetic Health Risks of Dental Mercury

Dental Group Defends Mercury Fillings Amid Mounting Evidence of Risks
Greg Gordon, McClatchy January 5, 2016 

HIGHLIGHTS
Researchers: Brain effects threaten up to 4 in 10 people with certain genetic traits
Food and Drug Administration defends safety of mercury dental products
Thirteen years after issue arose, EPA yet to order controls on dental mercury discharges

EXCERPT
"THE ADA OWES NO LEGAL DUTY OF CARE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM ALLEGEDLY DANGEROUS PRODUCTS USED BY DENTISTS. THE ADA DID NOT MANUFACTURE, DESIGN, SUPPLY OR INSTALL THE MERCURY-CONTAINING AMALGAMS. ... DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION RELATED TO THE PRACTICE OF DENTISTRY DOES NOT CREATE A DUTY OF CARE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM POTENTIAL INJURY."American Dental Association response to a patient lawsuit

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article53118775.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: Dental Group Defends Mercury Fillings Amid Mounting Evidence of Health Risks

Tests Suggest Mercury in Air at Some Dental Clinics 

Greg Gordon, McClatchy DC, January 5, 2016


Highlights
Firm finds soaring mercury levels in visits to dental offices
Dental workers among those sickened by toxin
‘There are kids running around everywhere. . . . It’s nuts’

Read more here: Tests Suggest Mercury in Air at Some Dental Clinics