LETTER TO SAM McELRAVY, PRIMARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, FORKS, WASHINGTON



(note:This letter was type-written all in capital letters. A date of 2-18-86 has been hand-written on my copy).

TO: SAM McELRAVY

FROM: TUTORS

SUBJECT: HEALTH PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PORTABLE.
SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS NOTICED BY THE TUTORS AND OTHER TEACHERS ARE:

  1. HEADACHES LIGHT TO SEVERE
  2. EARS PLUGGED
  3. SINUS PROBLEMS
  4. RUNNY NOSE
  5. TIRED
  6. HEAVY FEELING IN THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
  7. DEPRESSION
  8. EYES BURNING
  9. UNABLE TO CONCENTRATE WITH-IN THE PORTABLE

WE ARE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT THE LONG TERM AFFECTS ON ADULTS AND CHILDREN.

THESE SYMPTOMS ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH HOW WE FELT PRIOR TO WORKING IN THE PORTABLE NOR ARE THEY CONSISTENT WITH HOW WE FEEL IN OTHER ENVIRONMENTS.

WE WOULD LIKE THE PORTABLE (OUR WORK ENVIRONMENT) TESTED FOR ANY SUBSTANCES WHICH COULD CAUSE THESE SYMPTOMS. SIX OF THE SEVEN OF US WHO WORK WITHIN THE PROTABLE HAVE SOME FORM OF ALLERGIES WHICH WE BELIEVE ARE ADVERSELY REACTING WITH SOMETHING IN THE PORTABLE.

WE BELIEVE THIS IS A WORK RELATED HEALTH HAZARD AND DESERVES A SPEEDY RESPONSE.

PLEASE ADVISE US OF YOUR INTENDED COURSE OF ACTION BY FEB. 26, 1986.

SINCERELY,

/s/
MARLA JOHNSON

/s/
DONNA JULICH

/s/
MARY SPRINGER

/s/
KAREN WITTENBORN

/s/
EILEEN PENN

/s/
RAEMA ROARK

/s/
GWEN MILLER

(three additional people signed this letter also)

/s/
MARK WILBURN

/s/
SHERRY K FLANIGAN

/s/
MARY PALMER




How many of the symptoms listed above would impair your ability to concentrate? The last symptom specifically mentions that the teachers were unable to concentrate. What do you suppose the effect upon the children would be since we know anything bad in the air is as if it were two to three times as strong for them? But, for the kids, "they" have a name for this. It is called "attention deficit disorder" or some such crap!

Repeat this scenario many times over in Washington state and hundreds of times over in our other states. What were you told about it? Did the school authorities in Forks or any of these other places immediately alert the parents? Did they ever alert the parents, or did they just sign more kids up for ritalin and counselling and treatment for the increased incidence of asthma which permeated the schools?

What do you suppose happened? Was the "portable" classroom(s) tested? What was the result? Was anyone informed? the result . . .



The links below are broken while we rebuild



Table of Contents (up, more)
HOME (up, most)