The Toxic Legacy of Raybestos-Manhattan Continues

The epic toxic legacy of asbestos brake manufacturer, Raybestos-Manhattan Inc., a/k/a Manhattan Rubber and Raymark, continues as waste from its former plants plagues present communities. Raybestos had several production plants in the US including Connecticut, South Carolina and Passaic, New Jersey.

Asbestos, labeled the "miracle mineral," was a known carcinogen and linked to: asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare and fatal cancer. The company with knowledge of that information, as revealed in the famous "Sumner Simpson papers," ignored the available science and continued to manufacturer asbestos products including: bowling balls, radiator hoses and brake linings, as well as other products.

While the Raybestos is no longer producing asbestos products, the plants sites continue to be a problem to the communities as a toxic legacy continues.

Read the article Citizen group pushing for new way to detoxify Raymark wastemctpost.com

"STRATFORD -- A network of residents concerned about toxic waste in town is pushing the EPA to study and determine whether a relatively new technology that neutralizes asbestos can be used to detoxify dump sites in the city....." read more 

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For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

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The Toxic Legacy in Iraq

The Public Education Center (PEC) has published the second in a series of investigative articles concerning the toxic exposure of Army National Guard Units to cancer-casuing chemicals allegedly released by a government contractor, KBR, Inc.

The exposure was a result of a release by KBR, Inc. to, “...dichromate, a rust-fighting industrial chemical and highly-concentrated hexavalent chromium compound, Hexavalent chromium.” Hexavalent chromium has been described as the most toxic chemical known to man.

The series entitled, “No Contractor Left Behind,” chronicles “...chronicles how a toxic time bomb followed three Army National Guard units home from Iraq. It reveals how a notorious military contractor exposed American soldiers to a cancer-causing carcinogen on the battlefield and how the Pentagon tried to downplay the consequences. And it describes how Congress has relegated its investigation to a toothless forum that lacks the political clout and oversight powers to ensure effective accountability.”

A law suit has been filed by 30 West Virginia National Guardsman because of the exposure. Last month a Pittsburg shoulder who served in Iraq and was also exposed filed a law suit seeking damages for the consequences of his exposure.

For additional article on the Halliburton-KBR Litigation click here.

Toxic Flight Attendant Uniforms Result in a $1.1 Million Verdict

Wearing an employer-designated work uniform shouldn’t result in severe and debilitating occupational exposures. Unfortunately, some American Airlines flight attendants suffered injuries from wearing the flight uniforms prescribed by their employer. The lawsuit that they filed lawsuit resulted in a $1.1 Million award.

NJ Supreme Court Enhances Workplace Safety and Adopts an Updated Standard for Medical Causation

A divided NJ Supreme Court upheld a verdict for an employee who suffered mesothelioma, a fatal cancer, as a result of a product manufacturer’s failure to warn of the lethal nature of the product in the workplace. The Court acknowledged that even minor exposure to asbestos could cause disease.

Unlawful Asbestos Removal Results in Criminal Charges

Demolition Contractors Indicted for Unlicensed and Unsafe Asbestos Removal at Zurbrugg Hospital Site in Riverside NJ

Illegal actions allegedly caused release of asbestos dust and debris

NJ Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced that two men and the demolition company they operated have been indicted by a state grand jury on charges that they unlawfully removed asbestos from the former Zurbrugg Memorial Hospital in Riverside, N.J., without a license, using workers who were not trained or equipped to do the job safely.
The Division of Criminal Justice obtained a state grand jury indictment charging Frank J. Rizzo, 53, of Parlin, Michael Kouvaras, 59, of Maplewood, and the company they ran, Deuteron Capital, LLC, doing business as South Street Fillit Recycling of Riverside, with conspiracy (2nd degree), unlawfully causing the release of a toxic pollutant (2nd degree), abandonment of toxic pollutants (2nd degree), and violating the Asbestos Control and Licensing Act (3rd degree). The charges stem from a joint investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Environmental Crimes Unit and the Department of Corrections Special Investigations Division.


Between August 2010 and March 2011, the defendants allegedly used untrained day laborers, including inmates from a halfway house, to remove asbestos from the hospital buildings in connection with demolition at the site and their efforts to salvage valuable copper and steel. They allegedly engaged in asbestos removal without the required license from the New Jersey Department of Labor, and their illegal activities allegedly caused the release of asbestos dust and debris. Kouvaras, the owner of South Street, and Rizzo, the project organizer, allegedly directed unlicensed workers to remove asbestos or asbestos-containing material, bury approximately 50 bags of asbestos in the ground, and dump bags of asbestos on the floor of a boiler room so that it would appear that vandals had removed the asbestos while stealing copper and steel.


“These men knew there was asbestos throughout this old hospital and knew the real dangers involved in removing it, but we allege that they put their monetary self-interest ahead of the health and safety of their workers and the surrounding community,” said Attorney General Chiesa. “They are charged with serious crimes, including second-degree offenses that carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison.”


“Through our Environmental Crimes Unit, we have made prosecuting polluters a high priority,” said Stephen J. Taylor, Director of the Division of Criminal Justice. “The laws and regulations governing the handling and disposal of hazardous materials such as asbestos are there to protect all of us, and we will come down hard on violators who put workers and the public at risk.”


In early 2010, Rizzo solicited the owner of the Zurbrugg site for the contract to demolish the hospital. South Street was given the contract, which specified that the company would retain all of the proceeds from the recycling of metal and arrange for and pay all demolition costs, including asbestos abatement and disposal. An engineering report on the hospital buildings, which was provided to the defendants, identified extensive asbestos throughout the structures.


The defendants initially retained a licensed asbestos abatement contractor, which provided the required 10-day notice of its intent to perform asbestos abatement at the site to the Department of Labor, Department of Health & Senior Services and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However, the defendants paid only a few thousand dollars of the 10 percent deposit required by the contractor to start the work. The contractor estimated abatement would cost about $220,000. The licensed contractor worked only one day at the site, removing a small amount of asbestos. 


The defendants allegedly used day laborers, including inmates from Clinton House, a work release halfway house in Trenton, to remove asbestos from sections of the hospital, without following the requirements of federal and state laws to prevent the release of toxic asbestos dust and debris. For example, the workers stripped insulation containing asbestos from pipes and a boiler, so that copper pipes, wire and other metals could be salvaged. It is alleged that the workers did not wear protective equipment, with the exception of paper masks, which are not authorized as safe for asbestos removal. The workers quickly took off the paper masks because the masks made it difficult to breathe.


The workers placed materials containing asbestos into black plastic bags, and some of the bags were placed in a roll-off container provided by a waste transportation company. Disposal manifests show 25 bags and 100 bags respectively were removed by a licensed hauler and disposed of at a lawful facility.


Division of Criminal Justice detectives executed a search warrant at the site on Filmore Street on March 28, 2011, and discovered material containing asbestos strewn on the floor of the boiler room. They found a roll-off container holding over 200 plastic bags of materials, 30 of which were tested and found to contain asbestos. They also uncovered two bags containing asbestos tiles buried in the ground during limited excavation at the site.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 has taken jurisdiction of the site, which is being evaluated for asbestos removal action.


The state investigation began in early 2011 when the Department of Corrections (DOC) Special Investigations Division received a tip that inmates were being used to remove asbestos at the site. DOC alerted the Division of Criminal Justice, which joined the investigation. The Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Health & Senior Services and Department of Labor & Workforce Development assisted with the investigation, including helping with the execution of search warrants at the Zurbrugg site and South Street offices beginning on March 28, 2011.


Supervising Deputy Attorney General Betty Rodriguez and Deputy Attorney General Mary Erin McAnally presented the case to the state grand jury. The investigation was conducted for the Environmental Crimes Unit, within the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau, by Sgt. Steven Ogulin, Detective Dawn Ryan, Detective Michael Klumpp, SDAG Rodriguez and DAG McAnally. The investigation was led for the Department of Corrections Special Investigations Division by Principal Investigator Daniel Klotz.
Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The third-degree offense of violating the Asbestos Control and Licensing Act carries a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000. The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


The indictment was handed up to Superior Court Judge Thomas W. Sumners Jr. in Mercer County, who assigned it to Burlington County. The indictment is posted with this release at www.njpublicsafety.com.
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For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered work related accident and injuries.

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Senators Call for Toxic Substances Act Update

The New York Times today reports that Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ.) is anticipated to introduce new legislation to modernize The Toxic Control Substances Act (TSCA) originally enacted in 1976. 


"There's no question that chemicals are essential to our modern lives ... but when we use these products, the chemicals in them can end up in our bodies," Lautenberg said. "And when the chemicals used in flame retardants, plastics or rocket fuel show up in our children's bodies, we have a potentially dangerous situation."


Click here to read more about toxic exposures and workers' compensation.

US NTSB Initiates Investigation of NJ Toxic Train Derailment

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has now commenced an investigation of the train accident in Paulsboro, New Jersey where a moveable bridge collapsed and the 84 car train, with 4 cars of toxic substance crashed into a creek spilling hazardous vinyl chloride. 

The NTSB is a Federal agency charged with accident investigation. It has begun to collect data, both human and mechanical, to determine the cause of the investigation. A team of investigators has from Washington DC and other areas of the country has now appeared on the scene to commence the investigation. After conclusion of the investigation and analysis as to the its cause, the NTSB will issue
recommendations to prevent further similar accidents.

The same bridge was had collapsed in 2009, when a train pulling coal cars came off its tracks after the railroad bridge over the Mantua Creek collapsed and sent 16 cars into the water. The bridge was “an old structure,” and its original “A” frame dated back to 1873. The train has two locomotives and 83 freight cars.

One tanker containing 25,000 gallons of vinyl chloride. It was breached in the accident. The gas leaked into the air, while the rest turned into a solid and settled into the bottom of the tanker. Elevated levels of vinyl chloride were detected in a 12 block radius and over 500 people were evacuated last night. Approximately 70people have been treated at the local hospital. No fatalities have yet to be reported.

Most vinyl chloride is used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and vinyl products. Acute (short-term) exposure to high levels of vinyl chloride in air has resulted in central nervous system effects (CNS), such as dizziness, drowsiness, and headaches in humans. Chronic (long-term) exposure to vinyl chloride through inhalation and oral exposure in humans has resulted in liver damage. Cancer is a major concern from exposure to vinyl chloride via inhalation, as vinyl chloride exposure has been shown to increase the risk of a rare form of liver cancer in humans. EPA has classified vinyl chloride as a Group A, human carcinogen.

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Jon L.Gelman of Wayne NJ, helping vinyl chloride victims and their families for over 4 decades, is the author NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson).  

Read more about "vinyl chloride"

Vinyl Chloride Workplace Poison

Vinyl Chloride Conspiracy Documents

Workers' Compensation: Time to Lab Test Chemicals

Jan 29, 2010

The 5 substances that TSCA mandates regulations for are all known carcinogens: Asbestos, Hexavalent Chromium, Vinyl Chloride, Trichloethylene, Methyene Chloride and Dicloromethene. Since 1976 chronic and terminal ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: NJ Permits Intentional Tort Claim Against ...

Aug 11, 2007

This case involved exposure to poly vinyl chloride at a Pantasote, a Paterson NJ plant, causing disease to former workers which is characteristic of Raynaud's phenomenon ( fingers blanch and numbnessand discomfort are ...

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Workers' Compensation: Casino Employee in NJ Wins Cancer Suit ...

Feb 20, 2008

Secondhand smoke contains hundreds of chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic (cancer-causing), including formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide. Secondhand smoke has ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

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Radiation Near Japanese Plant’s Tanks Suggests New Leaks

Today's post was shared by The New York Times and comes from www.nytimes.com

A crisis over contaminated water at Japan’s stricken nuclear plant worsened on Saturday when the plant’s operator said it had detected high radiation levels near storage tanks, a finding that raised the possibility of additional leaks. The operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, or Tepco, said it had found the high levels of radiation at four separate spots on the ground, near some of the hundreds of tanks used to store toxic water produced by makeshift efforts to cool the Fukushima Daiichi plant’s three damaged reactors. The highest reading was 1,800 millisieverts per hour, or enough to give a lethal dose in about four hours, Tepco said.

Deadly Delay: The Chemical Industry's Game Play

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is in desperate need of reform. Its weaknesses have allowed chemical companies to exploit the act by thwarting the EPA's attempts to finalize health assessments and delaying regulation of chemicals -- sometimes for decades. The chemical industry's roadblocks often follow predictable patterns:

• Attack early drafts of health assessments
• Force new reviews
• Hold workshops populated with industry-funded panelists
• Introduce new industry-funded studies when assessments are close to final
• Force more reviews
• Enlist elected officials to assist with political interference
• Attack new assessment drafts

Using these tactics, the chemical industry has effectively prevented the EPA from achieving its mission to protect human health.

This report details how the U.S. legal system and TSCA itself have helped the chemical industry to be effective in its efforts to delay regulations. Congress needs to reform TSCA to make it a more effective regulatory tool. The chemical industry should not be able to endlessly postpone regulatory decisions while profiting from unregulated chemical sales until all scientific controversies and uncertainties, large and small, have been eliminated. With good public policy, the EPA should be empowered to make the best decisions it can on a timely basis using existing information, and apply new science to update its evaluations as it becomes available.

Full Report: The Chemical Industry Delay Game : How the Chemical Industry Ducks Regulation of the Most Toxic Substances. By Jennifer Sass. October 2011

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Benefits Available Under the Zadroga 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund

On January 2, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act establishing the World Trade Health Program and extends and expands eligibility for compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001.

The President remarked, "I was honored to sign the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to ensure that rescue and recovery workers, residents, students, and others suffering from health consequences related to the World Trade Center disaster have access to the medical monitoring and treatment they need. We will never forget the selfless courage demonstrated by the firefighters, police officers, and first responders who risked their lives to save others. I believe this is a critical step for those who continue to bear the physical scars of those attacks."

Those who were exposed to the toxic dust and fumes of the World Trade Center disaster continue to suffer from latent and progressive medical conditions. The New England Journal of Medicine has reported that a substantial population that was exposed to the toxic residuals of the event are suffering from sever medical conditions. Positive pathological findings reflect the existence of aluminum and magnesium silicates, chrysotile asbestos, calcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, glass, and carbon nanotubes (CNT) were found in specimens of exposed individuals.

Eligibility for benefits under the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act include those who were World Trade Center victims and First Responders. Under the law those who worked, attended school, childcare and adult day care, may be eligible. The program also covers some who were present in the area of the dust cloud or who lived in the the New York City disaster area. Certain cleanup and maintenance workers are included including tele-communications workers such as Verizon, AT&T and other employees.

Like the September 11th Victim Compensation Act of 2001, even if the exposed individuals are living in another state, but were exposed at the NY Disaster Area, the ill individuals may apply for benefits. 

It is probable that cancers resulting from the exposures will be covered under the legislation. Historically, occupational and environmental exposures to carcinogens, such as asbestos, may take many years to progress and manifest into conditions as asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Additionally, various respiratory and digestive diseases are being reported including:

1. Interstitial lung diseases.
2. Chronic respiratory disorder--fumes/vapors.
3. Asthma.
4. Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS).
5. WTC-exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
6. Chronic cough syndrome.
7. Upper airway hyperreactivity.
8. Chronic rhinosinusitis.
9. Chronic nasopharyngitis.
10. Chronic laryngitis.
11. Gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD).

For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered asbestos related disease. Please contact our office if you require assistance in filing a claim under the newly enacted James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

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• OSHA Identifies Hazards and Risks of World Trade Center 911 Worksite
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• World Trade Center Health Registry to Record Those Exposed on 911 for Medical Followup
• Who is Considered a "WTC Responder" under the Zadroga 9/11 Act

Additional Resources

• Implementation of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-347) 76 FR 7862; 2/11/11  [PDF - 174 KB]
• "'James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010';" 1/5/10  [PDF - 300 KB]

Union, Environmental Group Say Dozens of Nuclear Workers Suffering from Toxic Materials Exposure

Evidence “strongly suggests a causal link between chemical vapor releases and subsequent health effects" at a Washington facility, according to a recent report. (Ellery / Wikimedia Commons)

Since March 2014, nearly 60 workers at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state have sought medical attention for on-the-job exposure to chemical vapors released by highly toxic waste stored at the site, some as recently as August. At a public meeting held Wednesday in Pasco, Washington, Hanford workers described symptoms that include chronic headaches, respiratory problems, nerve damage and bloody urine.

The meeting, hosted by the United Association (U.A.) of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 598 and Hanford Challenge, a Seattle-based environmental watchdog group, was convened following the February 10 release by Department of Energy contractor Washington River Protection Services (WRPS) of a “corrective action implementation plan.” This plan was developed in response to recommendations in a report from the Savannah River National Laboratory released in October 2014.

Commissioned in response to worker exposures at Hanford’s tank farms, the Savannah River report found ongoing emissions of toxic chemical vapors from waste tanks, inadequate worker health and safety procedures and evidence that “strongly suggests a causal link between chemical vapor releases and subsequent health effects.”

The underground storage tanks—known as...

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New Jersey: Toxic legacy remains

Today's post is shared from northjersey.com/

One of government's most basic responsibilities is protecting public health. That's not happening in Ringwood with a notorious old dump that is now a Superfund site. Rather than remove more than 100,000 tons of toxic waste dumped about 40 years ago by the Ford Motor Co., the borough wants to build a recycling center on top of it. That's bad enough. What's even worse is that the state Department of Environmental Protection is going along with the plan, according to a letter the agency sent recently to an attorney representing the borough. Nearby residents should be outraged that borough and state officials are seemingly so unconcerned about a real risk to public health. The dumping site, which is off Peters Mine Road and near where many members of the Ramapough Lenape Nation live, has had a particularly sordid history. Ford, which once had a plant in nearby Mahwah, began disposing paint sludge in the wooded terrain in the late 1960s, when such dumping was not uncommon. The federal Environmental Protection Agency oversaw a cleanup of the site in the early 1990s and, in 1994, proclaimed the area free of contaminants. That was not true. After a series by The Record in 2005 found that huge amounts of waste were still in the ground, properly cleaning up the area was again an issue. The borough's plan is to cover the contaminated area with a 2-foot layer of soil and synthetic material. A recycling center would then be constructed on top. It is not unusual for old dumps, or... [Click here to see the rest of this post]

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Lead Paint - Industry Has Yet to Meet Its Responsibility

Bill Moyers recently interviewed Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner, public health historians and authors of several books, including Lead Wars, about the politics of toxic substances. 

"And the industry said over 50 years ago that this was an insoluble problem, it was a problem of, caused by slums, it was a problem caused by who they called uneducable parents. And so that they washed their hands of the problem and they have still washed their hands of the problem. Parents have played, excuse me, paid the cost of lead poisoning. Landlords have even paid the cost of lead poisoning. The government has paid the cost of lead poisoning. The industry has not paid to get that lead off the walls so future generations of children can be protected." Gerald Markowitz

Click here to see the entire video recording of the program: "Toxic Disinformation" aired on PBS May 17, 2013.

California Public Entity Lead Paint Lawsuit Trial Starts (Bloomberg 7.15.13)

Stand Up For Safer Chemicals

Today's post was shared by Linda Reinstein and comes from www.thepetitionsite.com

America's chemicals policy is badly broken. Hundreds of toxic chemicals in our sofas, laundry detergents and other household products have been linked to cancer, infertility, autism, and asthma. Thousands more chemicals have never been assessed or required to be tested for safety. But we have the opportunity to protect ourselves. The bipartisan Chemical Safety Improvement Act offers a path toward critically needed reforms. Take Action: Ask your Members of Congress to support improving and moving the Chemical Safety Improvement Act. Dear Congress, I am writing today to urge you to help improve and move the Chemical Safety Improvement Act. Because of deficiencies in the 37-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act, the vast majority of the tens of thousands chemicals in use in the United States today have never been tested for their toxicity to humans or the environment. I am deeply concerned about potential impacts of chemicals on my health and the health of my family, but under the current system, adequate chemical safety information is not available to regulatory agencies or consumers. We need reform now. The bipartisan Chemical Safety Improvement Act is a remarkable opportunity to fix our broken law. The bill would give the Environmental Protection Agency critical tools it needs to address the risks chemicals pose to health. For instance, the bill would require, for the first time, that the safety of all chemicals in active commerce be...

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Reset the Clock on Cancer: Tell the Senate to Fix Our Chemical Laws

Today's post was shared by Ban Asbestos Network and comes from www.huffingtonpost.com

What would you do to prevent someone you love from getting breast cancer? To keep your sister, mother, daughter or son safe from this devastating disease that has touched millions of people? The greatest opportunity to prevent breast cancer is identifying and eliminating the environmental causes of the disease, including exposures to toxic chemicals. Hope that we can change the course of cancer for future generations is the most compelling reason why all of us should tell our senators to fix our broken chemical system that prohibits? women -- and all of us -- from living healthy lives. Toxic chemicals, found in everything from cleaners to furniture to plastics, endlessly bombard our bodies and take a toll on our health. A strong and rapidly growing consensus from the scientific community has determined that chemicals in everyday products are linked to diseases and disorders that persist or are on the rise in the population, including breast cancer, infertility, asthma and more. This week Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., is convening a full-day hearing with experts in public health about how to fix our broken chemicals system. The failure of the law governing chemicals, the Toxic Substances Control Act, (TSCA) stems from a number of factors, including the very basic flaw that chemicals don't have to be proven safe first before they are brought to market. Any meaningful reform of TSCA must shift the burden of proof to industry to demonstrate the safety of the chemicals they...

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The President signs the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I want to thank everybody who is here because they all did outstanding work to help us get this legislation completed.

As you know, I think all Americans feel we have a moral, sacred duty towards our men and women in uniform. They protect our freedom, and it’s our obligation to do right by them. This bill takes another important step in fulfilling that commitment.

I want to thank the members of Congress who helped to make this happen. It is going to have immediate impact. It is going to improve access to health care, streamline services in the VA. It expands support for veterans who are homeless.

There are two parts to the bill, though, that I especially want to highlight. First of all, this bill ends a decade-long struggle for those who serve at Camp Lejeune. Some of the veterans and their families who were based in Camp Lejeune in the years when the water was contaminated will now have access to extended medical care. And, sadly, this act alone will not bring back those we’ve lost, including Jane Ensminger, but it will honor their memory by making a real difference for those who are still suffering.

The second part of this bill that I want to highlight -- prohibit protesting within 300 feet of military funerals during the two hours before and two hours after a service. I supported this step as a senator. I am very pleased to be signing this bill into law. The graves of our veterans are hallowed ground. And obviously we all defend our Constitution and the First Amendment and free speech, but we also believe that when men and women die in the service of their country and are laid to rest, it should be done with the utmost honor and respect.

So I’m glad that Congress passed this bill and I hope that we can continue to do some more good bipartisan work in protecting our veterans. I’ve been advocating, for example, for a veterans job corps that could help provide additional opportunities for the men and women who are coming home as we’re winding down our operations in Afghanistan and having ended the war in Iraq. And so this is a good sign of a bipartisan spirit that I’m sure is going to carry through all the way to Election Day and beyond.

With that, I’m going to sign the bill. Make sure I sign the right place, though.

(The bill is signed.)

There you go. Congratulations, everybody. Good work. Thank you very much.

More about Camp Lejuene

Workers' Compensation: Camp Lejeune Veterans Act

Jul 21, 2012

C.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, announced that the Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, H.R. 1627 a bill that improves services and care for ...

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Workers' Compensation: Camp Lejeune Toxic Exposure

Feb 18, 2010

Newly reported information is now demonstrating that the water at Camp Lejeune NC military base may have been contaminated as a result of a toxic spill. Marines, sailors, their families and other civilian contractors may be ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

ATSDR Health Survey of Pre-1986 Personnel at Camp Lejeune

May 28, 2011

During June--December 2011, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry will conduct a health survey of persons who resided or worked at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina before 1986 and ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

VA Outlines New Policy to Address Burn Pit Hazards

May 08, 2010

(5) contaminated drinking water at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina; and (6) pollutants from a waste incinerator near the Naval Air Facility (NAF) at Atsugi, Japan. It is imperative that regional office personnel are aware of these ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

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