http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/28/health/new-york-students-illness/index.html?iref=allsearch
Recently, over a dozen students at Le Roy Senior High School in upstate New York have been experiencing neurological symptoms such as “uncontrolled verbal outbursts and twitching” of a yet undiagnosed disorder. There has been speculation that an accident that occurred in 1970, when a train that was derailed about 4 miles from the school spilled approximately 30,000 gallons of trichloroethene (TCE). The incident has caught the attention of famed environmental activist Erin Brockovich, who has begun investigating the situation. She has expressed concern that the chemical TCE has polluted the groundwater that supplies the school, and stated that research shows that TCE has been known to have neurological effects on people who have been exposed to it. Currently, investigations are being made to determine if chemicals related to the spill in 1970 are directly responsible for what is making the students sick.
This article shares a lot of similarities to the article we read in class about Carver Terrace. The people who live in this area of New York have become mistrustful of the EPA because of the way that they have handled the spill in 1970 as well as the current situation. According to the article, significant cleanup efforts of the spill did not begin until 20 years after the accident occurred. During this time, the residents of this area were exposed to a potentially dangerous chemical that could have yet unseen health effects.
I think it’s curious that the article mentions that several health experts believe that the girls are suffering from “conversion disorder”. I think that there is a strong possibility that the girls’ symptoms are related somehow to the TCE spill. This is also similar to the situation with the residents of Carver Terrace in that many conclusions are being made without strong scientific evidence. To what extent should communities involve themselves in more scientific processes? Where do we draw the line between expressing concern and essentially talking about things we don’t truly understand? Most of the people concerned in this situation are not health professionals or environmental experts – however, they are challenging the claims these professionals are making.
The involvement of Erin Brockovich also reminds me of how Jesse Jackson spoke on behalf of the people of Carver Terrace. There is need for a social movement and reaction for any environmental reforms to occur. I also wonder if, in a way, environmental injustice is at play in this case as well. To what extent is Erin Brockovich’s involvement based on her sense of injustice in the way that the Le Roy community and EPA are handling the situation, and to what extent is it her sense of injustice for the fact that the victims are teenage girls? The people being affected here are young women; would this story be told differently if it was a community of elderly people or an African American community comprised mostly of people of low socioeconomic status?
I do think that it could be possible that, since this area has been a site of environmental controversy in the past, some people are jumping to conclusions that the same contamination is causing the illness of these 15 girls. Also, I do wonder why only a handful of the students are sick. However, I think that a diagnosis of “conversion disorder” is controversial as well. If these girls are experiencing their symptoms due to chemical contamination and their illness is written off as being psychological, it puts other people in danger of similar exposure.
I think it’s always important to remember that the most important part of environmental justice is justice itself. There can be no justice without truth, and therefore I think that it is important for all parties in this story to remember that it is most important that they search for truth, and not just the easiest answers.
I agree with your analysis. There is indeed suspicion within the community of the authorities conducting the search comparable to that in Carver Terrace. The article points out that they are looking for “professionals void of self-interest.” However, in your review you bring up the point that environmental justice might be at play because the victims are young, white girls; in seeking the aid of Erin Brockovich they might still be involved with professionals with self-interest, but it is just happens to be in their favor. There seems to be substantial evidence that legitimizes concerns about the symptoms resulting from environmental conditions, and it is interesting to see the process unfolding as opposed to reflecting on a case that has been closed (for better or worse). This not only reopens old wounds that have to do with feelings of injustice about an insufficient response to a toxic spill, but it reinforces the fact that such neglect can have repercussions even decades later. While it may be difficult for communities to get involved with the scientific process by actually conducting experiments and research, they can certainly press for qualified scientists and for their representatives to achieve justice on their behalves.
ReplyDeleteIt seems very unusual to me that only girls were affected. With the involvement of a name as big as Erin Brockovich, I can't help but wonder if maybe a little bit of hysteria isn't involved. I googled the school and found their reaction to the situation: http://www.leroycsd.org/district.cfm?subpage=1458956
ReplyDeleteThe school board- the people who could claim a victim's identity here in the interest of its students- says that there isn't an environmental cause. While they haven't completed their soil testing yet, other tests have come back in the clear. Like leed13 said, the victims are all young. High school is a stressful yime- I really wouldn't be surprised if stress was a major factor in their symptoms. Conversion disorder is what used to be called hysteria, and can have a strong correlation with anxiety and stress. It seems that if this really was environmentally based, this would have shown up in the past. After all, that spill was forty years ago and cleanup started twenty years ago. The time frame seems a little odd for this sudden onset of symptoms to be environmentally caused.
However, if it truly is environmental, at least there's a contingency of people up in arms about it. Advocacy will only create a more thorough investigation.
I saw this on HLN with Dr. Drew!! This particular segment made me so angry because chemical pollution seems to be an undeniable explanation. I don't believe there to be just a pure coincidence that there was a train crash leading to a leak of harmful toxins, and a mysterious twitch epidemic. Dr. Drew and his other fellow psychologist were attempting to find common denominators among the girls, such as boyfriend drama, family feuds, or stress from school. All of these attempts to find common stress triggers failed, leaving, in my opinion, only one explanation left. Perhaps there were pressures by the community to portray this as an emotional instead of environmental problem, or it was entertained as a cause just for the sake of television drama, but I find it to be ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI did find it very odd that only girls were affected and I am curious to see what there data concludes about this strange stipulation. It seems to me that since those of only one sex are affected, that hormone levels must be a variable of the problem.