In the early 70s, a waste hauler illegally sprayed dioxin-contaminated oil at 27 locations in eastern Missouri. At one site, Shenandoah Stables, fifty horses died, along with hundreds of wild birds, chickens, cats and dogs in the local area. In 1982, the federal government bought and disincorporated nearby Times Beach; 2,000 people were evacuated due to dioxin contamination. Another nearby town of 9,000 was found to be dangerously contaminated in 1997.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that all Americans now have dioxins in their fatty tissues. One source of dioxin in the environment is a paper bleaching process that uses chlorine. Back in 1991, Time, a giant buyer of chlorine-bleached paper, assured the public that "scientists are no longer sure dioxin is as dangerous a carcinogen as originally thought." 3,450 lbs. of chlorinated chemical wastes were dumped in U.S. waterways to bleach the paper for that issue! In 1994, after much vacillation, the EPA finally reassessed dioxin as a carcinogen.
Evidence now suggests that Dow Chemical Co. and Monsanto Co. (the source of all PCBs made in the US) have covered up the health consequences of Agent Orange, the dioxin-laced, Vietnam War defoliant, possibly with the Pentagon's collusion. Major lawsuits filed by thousands of Vietnam veterans and former plant employees have been brought against these companies.
In 1995, the EPA ruled conclusively that dioxins are directly linked to cancer, miscarriages and sterility. The Oregonian, Oregon's most-read newspaper, printed the apocalyptic headline, "Falling Sperm Counts Put Mankind at Risk" in 1996. The article named "environmental estrogens" as culprits for the global drop in human sperm counts: "These are chemicals that mimic estrogen, and are found in substances ranging from detergents to plastic wrappers." Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is especially toxic in this regard. Greenpeace took credit for a nighttime trespass at a PVC plastics plant in Louisiana, where activists stole PVC industrial wastes. Independent testing found more dioxins in those samples than in the wastes of Agent Orange.
In 1998, the Register Guard of Eugene reported that "Officials from 120 countries will try to agree to phase out...insidious toxins," including many organochlorines: dioxins, DDT and PCBs. Meanwhile, Greenpeace trespassed at EPA headquarters with protest banners to expose the ongoing cover-up of dioxin sources, such as PVC plastics, while Congressman James Talent (R-Mo.) accused the EPA of cover-up and creating outright lies to downplay the dangers of dioxin.
In 1996, Mattel spokespersons defended their use of PVC in their Barbie dolls. In the face of overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary, they stated that "there is absolutely no risk," and that Greenpeace's concerns about PVC have been "proven absolutely false."
Who are they fooling? Regardless of the dioxin created from the manufacturing and eventual incineration of the product, Barbie also contains lead and cadmium to soften the plastic. These carcinogens enter the body through licking, sucking, and inhalation of dust from the toy. Mattel plans to pull its lead and cadmium-tainted PVC teething rings and pacifiers from store shelves this year.
All facts for this article originate from following newspapers and magazines:
Trial, The Nation, Sierra, St. Louis Journalism Review, The Oregonian, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA), Kansas City Star, Missoulian, National Wildlife, Statesman Journal (Salem, OR), Environmental Action Magazine, Reuters, The Herald (Sharon, PA.), US EPA. Broad Scan Analysis of the FY82 National Human Adipose Tissue Survey Specimens Vol. 1, Executive Summary, The Register Guard (Eugene OR)
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 1999
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