Number of students with Tourette symptoms grows

[gardengirl13]

Establishing a causal link between fracking and specific health threats is tricky. Energy companies are not required to disclose the composition of fracking fluids for proprietary reasons, so they don’t.




Many of the chemicals used in shale gas drilling, such as benzene, are hazardous. Long-term exposure to such chemicals can have serious health consequences. Because the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 exempted hydraulic fracturing from regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act, shale gas drillers don’t have to disclose what chemicals they use.

Despite their attempts to keep the make-up of fracking fluids secret, we do know something about what they contain. A recent study conducted by Theo Colburn, PhD, the director of the Endocrine Disruption Exchange in Paonia, Colorado, has so far identified 65 chemicals that are probable components of the injection fluids used by shale gas drillers. These chemicals included benzene, glycol-ethers, toluene, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethanol, and nonylphenols. All of these chemicals have been linked to health disorders when human exposure is too high.




“In the news recently, you may have heard of something called “fracking” or “hydraulic fracturing.” It is a drilling process used by the natural gas industry to extract natural gas from beneath the ground.

“And there are health and safety concerns about it. Despite provisions in the Clean Air Act, there is something called the ‘Halliburton loophole’ that allows the gas companies to inject proprietary mixtures of methane, ethane, liquid condensate and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the wells. Some of the VOCs that are used in the mixtures have a significant impact on health and include benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene. “Health effects of exposure to these chemicals include neurological problems, birth defects and cancer. Other symptoms may include bloody noses, asthma, GI distress, diarrhea, dizziness, migraines, nerve pain, neurological disorders and skin rashes.



http://michiganmessenger.com/48302/cong ... ing-fluids

http://grist.org/list/2011-08-05-epa-fo ... tes-water/

http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20111 ... -gas-wells

"Residents have alleged for nearly a decade that the drilling—and hydraulic fracturing in particular—has caused their water to turn black and smell like gasoline. Some residents say they suffer neurological impairment, loss of smell, and nerve pain they associate with exposure to pollutants."

[Matt]

There are far more cases of contaminated well water, especially picking up petro-chemicals and often radiation, then cases where fracking is in proximity. This has happened for centuries prior to fracking being conceived.
Just because fracking is present, doesn't mean that fracking is responsible. The anti-frackers don't quite understand this. With this logic, cars shouldn't have oil, and people shouldn't use bleach in their laundry, because domestic dumping of oil and bleach is by far the largest non-point source of water contaminants in the United states and account for more well contamination than any other non-natural cause.

That doesn't mean fracking can't be responsible, but all evidence, especially the lack of pattern of the affected, point to "no"

[Matt]

Let the shotgun spending begin!

LeRoy, N.Y. -- The LeRoy School Board approved air and soil testing at its Tuesday night meeting.

It's another effort to explore a possible cause of the Tourette's-like illness affecting at least 12 students.

Pittsford-based Leader Professional Services will start testing air quality later this week.

Testing will take place both when students are in school and out of school. Air samples will be collected first to check things such as mercury, methane and fungi. Soil samples will follow.

The board commissioned the tests in response to concerns from the community that something in the environment may be causing the tics. The board and Leader say they want to leave the community with no doubts that the school is safe.

The testing will take about seven weeks to complete. It will cost the district $70,000 to $75,000.

The board has reached out to Rep. Kathy Hochul and Lt. Governor Bob Duffy to see if state funds are available to help pay for the tests.

http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story/ ... ak3LQ.cspx

[ApproachingLight]

Let the shotgun spending begin!

LOL!

[Matt]

Based on the sole "evidence" that girls of the same age happen to attend the only school in the town for girls that age, because of parents that won't stop bitching, the school is just going to start testing things just because people are AFRAID of its "evilness" and at the cost of $10/per every citizen of the town.

I don't mind testing to see if something is the culprit, but get some solid evidence.

[Matt]

an update:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/art ... |text|Home

[ApproachingLight]

Thanks for the update. I had heard (maybe 1080 WHAM?) that some were concerned that Erin's showing up would stir up things unnecessarily. Evidently the tourettes symptoms had very much died down. But it also sounds like there are serious environmental problems there.

[Matt]

Two more Le Roy students diagnosed with tic-like symptoms

Two students at Le Roy’s junior-senior high school have been diagnosed with tic-like symptoms, paralleling a situation in the last school year that garnered national attention.

A physician who’s treated one of the two students blamed the new symptoms on recent publicity about the earlier outbreak in Le Roy.

More than a dozen students in the Genesee County junior-senior high school building reported unusual neurological symptoms beginning about a year ago. Publicity reached a crescendo in early 2012 when various outside advocates and media outlets descended on Le Roy.

Many health experts said it appeared the symptoms were a contagion of conversion disorder, in which psychological trauma or upset causes uncontrollable physical symptoms.

more here:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/art ... ext|Home|p