Page 6 - Cleanup Workers News Today

Illnesses as of yet. as a doctor, i was curious, what is bp doing to monitor possible long-term health effects from the cleanup? are they taking blood samples that will allow them to track changes in liver or kidney function in workers exposed to dispersants like corexit, which isnt even used in europe because its considered too tox toxic. i asked him about these cleanup workers. if someone has been out there, and youve heard these complaints, im sure, like i have. they complain of burning in th...

Im serious. there was no follow up. >> exxon told us it doesnt know how many cleanup workers became sick. dalthorp never filed a lawsuit or a claim. he could never prove the work he did on the valdez made him sick. exxon did pay to study the health effects of almost every single creature that came in contact with oil in prince william sound. every creature, but one. >> from clams and ssels to fish and otters and even deer and bears, but they never studied what this oil was doing to the workers, ...

For joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> there you have it. lets us know what you think. the live chat is up and running. ac360.com. just ahead, my conversation with the head of bp, medical response team in the gulf and the number of cleanup workers theyre treating. up next a "360" investigation, a former exxon valdez cleanup worker is speaking up about his concerns. his allegations, were keeping them honest. the shipping industry in norway, and the rubber industry in south america? at...

Sick man. >> reporter: gary stubblefield in the cleanup. he travelled from alaska to an exxon office in houston where stubblefields medical records and those of other cleanup workers were being held. records exxon has asked the court to seal for privacy reasons. >> i was shocked, yes. >> reporter: mostus says the records reveal 6,722 had gotten sick. it was explained away as a virus. the so-called exxon crud. at the time, niosh, the national night of occupational safety and health was in agreeme...

Weve seen some of that. are you saying that there was no one monitoring in alaska and there was no follow up either? >> sanjay, there was something nothing near the type of monitoring thats going on right now in the gulf. and absolutely no follow up. in fact, exxonmobil even confirmed that to us in an e-mail, saying that the lack of studies, they say, is due largely to the fact that the cleanup workers, this is a quote, tended to be transient, temporary workers, making any medical follow-up incr...

His health is literally crumbling. >> im going blind. >> you think you were poisoned out there? >> yes. yes. silently poisoned. and thats whats happening to those people down in the gulf. >> drew is joining us now. drew, health officials are monitoring cleanup workers here in the gulf. weve seen some of that. are you saying that there was no one monitoring in alaska and there was no follow up either? >> sanjay, there was certainly nothing near the type of monitoring thats going on right now in t...

Occupation safety and health, was in agreement at the time. >> total bs. the only epidemiology was there was a few head colds they could identify and niosh didnt have any of the records. >> exxon never admitted fault in stubblefields case but reportedly settled the lawsuit for $2 million. one of the very few workers to get compensation. exxon says the few lawsuits brought failed to show any evidence of injuries or illnesses known to be caused by exposure to crude oil or the chemicals they used t...

Illnesses known to be caused by exposure to crude oil or the chemicals they used to clean it up. keeping them honest, dennis mestas, the attorney, says that he is concerned that workers, cleaning up in the gulf today, may be headed for the same fate as the exxon valdez workers. they get sick while their medical records are controlled by bp. louisianas health department has reported 128 cleanup workers believed to be sick from exposure to this spill but bp tells us they have recorded just five il...

Exxon valdez spill 21 years ago. with this bp spill, she says, once again, out-of-work fishermen are lining up for cleanup jobs that she says will put them in harms way. >> i feel like bp is forcing them into this situation where bp holds all the cards and bp is letting these workers get sick. >> back in alaska, roy dalthorps coughing had ans never stopped, he now has skin rashes. his health is literally crumbling. >> im going blind. >> you think you were poisoned out there? >> yes. yes. silentl...

ship where he worked 16-hour days and that is when the cough began. >> nobody ever checked with us, nobody. they never did a follow up on us, never asked if we ever had any consequences of it. they could have cared less. im serious. there was no follow up. >> exxon told us it doesnt know how many cleanup workers became sick. dalthorp never filed a lawsuit or a claim. he could never prove the work he did on the valdez made him sick. exxon did pay to study the health effects of almost every sin...