Kitimat Study Shows Workers Endangered
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p297£N~IAL LIBRARY VARSIAMENT BSD~S {g 7I~TORIA B C Kitimat study shows workers endangered by Anne Dunsmuir Cook County Hospital in through the walls of the should be broadened to aOversely affected unelss Compensation claims will available to /dean report. "We are in the Herald Staff Writer Chicago. blood vessels to red blood include lippong of the cha~es are made in the be made for 200 affected management at the end dark about the study and Occupational health Dr. Carnow tested 1,243 cells. spine and swollen join~. working environment." workers, of the meeting. it will take a couple of specialists have found workers classified by the Once again, workers in At present only Carnow said that "The union will weks to get expert thickening of the bones is "given this study's fin- demand that the WCB Alcan works manager opinions," Rich said. that Alcan workers have union into low, medium, high exposure areas Bill Rich and the corn- a significantly higher medium-high and high showed a rate of considered proof of dings, levels of irritant recognize a large group pany's chief medical rate of lung and musculo- risk categoriesdepending disfunction twice as high flouresis. gassea and particulants of aiseases affecting He said that such skeletal disease when on their working• en- as low exposure workers. th"The study suggests must be reduced and smelter workers," officer Eric Gnnn held a scientific studies are their job involves ex- viroument. Eighteen workers were at what medicien calls workers must be PENBROCK SAID. press conference evaluated by peer ~.ure to chemical He found that ~ per found to have serious flouresis is only one protected by respiratory Union member Jim following the union groups. itants. cent of the worker- affects according to the aspect of the diisease," devices." Brisebeis who acted as meeting. In fact, one group sshowed dome lung tests. Carnow said. He said the field co-ordinator of the They had no op- Rich said the company tested for lung function disfunetion with twice as "I have not seen as high rate of surgery for hakc He said that because study said that if there portunity to read the met levels set by law for showed a higher rate of many affected in the a rate of diffusion and neck problems sh- ten per cent of 446 was no response on the report whcih was pollution within the plant abnormality than that ~igh-risk group as in the disability in miners with weed that workers in the workers tested showed part of the company, released to management and the emmision norms found in a coal miners lOW. Black Lung disease." high risk catefory for abnormal gas transfer, workers should refuse to only 20 minutes before for the external en- suffering from Black Carnow said. "All tests bone disease have seven all workers whould be work in hazardous aeas the conference. vironment. "Norms are Lung disease. "Results show a showed a high times as much surgery as tested and that "in view and the union might lay established in both cases Results were released ~ositive relationship relationship between the low risk group. of the large number of criminal charges against Rich said the report and we are meeting Monday to members of etween exposure to abnormality of lung Carnow said that the workers with ab- the company. will be sent to several them," Rich said. the Canadian association irritants and lung ab- function andexposure to highest numbo rof bone normalities, employees We havae no qualms epidemiologists for of Smelter and Allied normalities," Carnow irritants. We should not operations were found in should be evaluated about doing what the evaluation. He said the Gunn said the company workers Union,local 1, in said. find this in health workers exposed to again in therryears." company did to us," company was supportive had been operating since a report on the health of Workers showing 'lngn workers," Carnow said. flouride. "It is the, Union president Wiho Brisebois said. of the study and had the turn of the century Alcan workers in Kitimat abnormalities on the first He said results of bone strongest kind of Pa~penbrock said the t He said that the report, wanted to be involved and never had a case of pBrepared by phusicians test were also tested for tests suggested that the statistical association," umon will give the commissioned by the from the beginning. industrial flourisis. "I ertram W. Carnow and lung diffusion function -- medical term flourosis to he said. company "a reasonable union in 1976, cost would like to look closely Shirley A. Conibear of the the ability to pass oxygen describe bone disease "The disease will time" to clean up the $197,000. A copy of the He said the union air criteria used for University of Illinois and from air sacks in the lung from exposure to flouride progress in workers smelter and Workers report was made refused to consider a joint diagnosis," he said. Short but noisy I TERRACE council meeting by Dmun Vali/eres m voted on. have another meeting," Herald Staff Writer Giesbrecht said. Tax exemptions set off h another hot debate at a ~pecial meeting of 20¢ VOLUME 71 NO. 141 " .~ WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1977 acemunicipal council Monday night sparking off exchanges of 'insults and charges of pre-eleetion propaganda. The meeting was a record 10 minutes long and broke up after disagreements about adjoumement procedures. One of the three items on the agenda to be discussed was a proposed meeting with the recreation advisory commission which was tabled for next year's council to decide. The second item was the tax exemption bylaw to, • determine which groups are accepted by council to receive tax Giesbrecht stressed his vie JOnlHe exemptions for 1978. motion for adjournment Mumford agreed the Groups currently being was not calculated in any meetin~ was "really a considdred for exemption way to hold up adoption of ~s,gusting scene." are the Terrace Culling the bylaw, but was It makes it had for me Club, Calvin Christian prompted instead by the as an outgoing alder- School Society, Terrace behavior of council man," he said, adding Little Theatre and tha members. that he just wanted to Women's Hospital serve out his terms. Auxiliary. Mumford was defeated The bylaw must be at the polls Saturday. passed by Nov. 28. Mumford stated the Aid. Helmut Giesbrecht shambles of the meetings raised a point of order was caused by an "at- after Aid. Dou,~ Mum- mesphere of Ald. ford, who chaired the Jolliffe." meeting in place of The defeated alderman haeationing Mayor Dave charged that Jolliffe had Marona;y, "exc_han~.ed telephoned a person insults with Ald.vm connected with both the This trailer arrived at the Thornhill fire hall Monday night. Jolliffe." recreation commission "I didn't want to see and with Terrace Little council dragged down to Theatre, tolling her not.to that all time low," bother coming to the Trailer blazes Giesbreeht said, ex- meetying because B.C. Tel contract disputes plaining ~s reason for notheing was going to VANCOUVER (CP) -- thought to be damage to a to contain our present job by Juliette Proem 40 below weather (with moving aajournment. happen. A British Columbia cable. A truck with smoke the bitter wind chill A vote was taken on the Jolliffe told this same Telephone Co. The spokesman said conditionsaCti°nto thethatlockedOUtexistat pouring out of the trailer factor), the volunteer motion to adjourn which person before the election spokesman said new damage to switching present," he said. "We're hatch pulled into the firefighters found resulted in a 2-2 tie. that Mumford was evidence of damage to equipment in Abbotsford adopting a polizf 1 are Thornhillfirehallatl0:15 remnants of brassieres, Giesbrecht and Joiliffe against granting tax equipment on Vancouver has hampered long-dis- working will contribute Monday night. potato chips, chairs, voted for adjournment, exemption to the Terrace Island was discovered tance operations in that financially and we'll at- The driver of the mattresses and a baby Aid. Jack Talstra and Little Thea!,re, 'iwhich today as the contract Fraser Vally community tempt to contain the job Lindsay's truck first blue toilet. Dave Pease voted against HelmutGlesbreeht was a lie, Mu ord dispute between the since Saturday. The action to the areas that noticed he had trouble on and Aid. Bob Cooper stated, company and the damage occurred in a are presently affected." his hands in Cedarvale. Ten medical oxygen abstained. "If people can't be Aid. Jolliffe "was still Telecommunications building to which the The union, which has At 9:30, he called the bottles packed against This was followed by • reasonable then let's all campaigning for next Workers' Union public does not normally been without a contract Thornhill hall to warn the front of the blazing discussion on whether gohome," he said. year's election," remained ata standstill, haveaecess, hesaid, and since Dec. 31, 1976, has them of his arrival. trailer coumpounded adjournment can be Giesbreeht was critical Mumford said. The spokesman said a security/ has been in- been conducting rotating danger for the volunteer of Mumford's tactics in There is a possibility telephone cable near creaseo, strikes throughout the "It was a big help for fighters. Oxygen bottles ar uing with other another meeting will be Nanaimo airport was Talks between the province. The company the trucker to bring his under pressure subjected aldermen while he was in called prior to the end of found slashed, affecting company and She union has responded by using trailer into the Thomhill to intense heat might Iterates[ the chair, the month to grant tax both local and long- broke down Monday.