A Kentucky man who has been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) has filed a lawsuit against 18 companies for damages in excess of $200,000. He claims that his condition was caused by benzene exposure suffered during his work as a pipefitter, oil burner, and maintenance and repairman.

MDS is considered a precursor to a rare type of cancer known as acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In fact, about one-third of all patients with MDS eventually develop AML - a condition linked to benzene exposure, which often occurs in high risk jobs such as the ones worked by Earl Brumleve.

Individuals who work in high risk occupations should look into the various state and federal regulations that govern workplace benzene exposure. Employers generally have an obligation to minimize the risk to their workers, and it’s important that workers understand their rights. In instances where workers’ rights have been violated, a lawsuit may be an appropriate course of action.

More than 650 residents of Ringwood, New Jersey, are suing Ford Motor Company over a toxic waste dump known as Sludge Hill. The area is one of the most polluted in the country and has been for decades - It’s been listed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s superfund list twice.

During the 1960s, Ford used the area to dispose of toxic by-products of its manufacturing processes. Paint, chemicals and battery acid-these and other hazardous waste products melted together to form a now rock hard toxic sludge that was originally a colorful liquid slime.

Residents Blame Sludge for Health Problems
The sludge contains benzene, lead and arsenic. Residents in the benzene lawsuit say the sludge contaminated their groundwater and many allege that they are sick as a result. Not surprisingly, Ford is denying any connection between the residents’ health problems and the toxic sludge.

In fact, the company is taking a defense similar to the tobacco companies by saying that genetic factors or benzene from the environment could have caused the residents’ current health issues. Ultimately, this defense did not work for big tobacco and hopefully it won’t work for Ford either.

Alan Steinberg, who heads the regional EPA, acknowledged that the residents’ health issues could very well be an effect of the benzene and other toxins they’ve been exposed to for so long. “…is there a potential that this contamination has resulted in sickness? Absolutely. I would still be very angry if I were a citizen of Upper Ringwood,” he said.

When Ivan Garcia was asked this Christmas season what was on his wish list, he replied with an answer that was anything but typical for a 13-year-old boy. He told his family he wants a couch. One that he can eat and sleep on if he wants. Not a typical request, but then again for someone who has spent the last few months in a hospital, a comfortable couch at home may just sound completely normal.
Garcia was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which is a cancer that affects the white blood cells, in late August. Since this time, his mother, two sister and brother have joined together to do all they can to help and support Ivan. And they have done all they can to ensure Ivan is comfortable and relaxed for the few days he is allowed home from the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.
What Causes Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia?
For years researchers have been studying the causes and effects of various forms of cancer, including leukemia. Although a cure for cancer has yet to be found, there are now many treatments available and many believe that we are closer to finding a cure for this life-threatening illness.
There are many things that have been linked to leukemia and are deemed to be the cause of this cancer. For example, exposure to harmful chemicals like benzene has been known to cause leukemia and other forms of cancer and in some cases the illness seems to be hereditary. However, doctors are still trying to determine the cause behind Ivan’s sudden health problems.
Community Helps Family in Trouble
The Garcia’s recently discovered that their home has been sold and they must move into a nearby trailer park. However, when Ivan was diagnosed and had to be hospitalized their move was delayed; though after Hurricane Ike hit, their home was nearly destroyed and they are now living with cracked walls and floors. Now, Dorothy Kelley, chairman of The Tony-Frankin Foundation has begun assisting the family and recently joined the community together to start Project Ivan: Home Makeover.
With the help of many others, Dorothy is gathering donations from various groups and organizations to help rebuild the Garcia’s home and help them financially so they are able to keep their home.
“I am thankful for all the help I am getting,” says Ivan.

Recent reports have revealed that trucking company workers who are being continuously exposed to diesel exhaust are at high risk of developing various forms of cancer. Benzene, a toxic chemical and known carcinogen, is a commonly used additive in gasoline and for those who spend their day to day lives being exposed to these fumes; the chances of developing cancer are higher.
A national study was recently done regarding truckers and the high risk of cancer and it reportedly found that workers who are exposed to exhaust from vehicles on the highways, city streets and loading docks are at higher risk of developing lung cancer than other workers.
Study Exposes Risk of Cancer
The study, which was analyzed 31,135 worker records, discovered that drivers, who do short-haul pickups and deliveries, including the loading and unloading at ports, had a noticeable increase in the rate of deaths and disease. Dockworkers were also found to have a higher risk, say researchers from UC Berkeley and Harvard who conducted the study.
After results from the study were made public, California’s Air Resources Board decided they were going to me to further discuss the study and its findings. During this meeting, they will be voting on a landmark regulation that aims to reduce the overall risk to the of benzene exposure to the general public from the nearly 1 million diesel trucks that exist in the state.
If this new rule is adopted by state lawmakers, California will be the very first state in the nation to require a replacement of every privately owned, diesel truck that’s now on the road. The law will also hold true for vehicles that are registered in other states and nations.
“This study confirms that truck drivers exposed to diesel have higher lung cancer rates,” explains Dr. John Balmes, who is a professor at UCSF and UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health.

According to recent reports, the Labor Department is racing to complete and implement a new rule that was opposed by President-elect Barack Obama regarding benzene emissions. The new rule would supposedly make it harder for the government to regulate toxic substances to which employees are exposed to while on the job.

The rule is reportedly being strongly supported by business groups and states that in assessing how risky certain substances are to the workplace, federal agencies should gather and analyze evidence of the employees’ exposure during their working lives. In many cases, the proposal would add a step to the process of developing higher standards in regards to protecting the health of workers.

Benzene Rule Details

Public health officials worry that the rule will only delay much needed protections for workers across the country, which could ultimately result in more deaths and illnesses.  The Labor Department proposal is reportedly one of 20 highly debatable rules that the Bush Administration is trying to pass during his last weeks in office. The other rules cover a wide array of topics from abortion, to auto safety and the environment.
The one regarding benzene emissions at workplaces across the country is of importance due to the harm that benzene can cause to anyone exposed over an extended duration of time. Benzene is a toxic chemical that has been linked to leukemia and other cancers. It is typically used in gasoline, dyes, synthetic rubbers, and cigarettes. If this rule is passed and workers across the country aren’t protected from benzene and other toxic chemicals, more and more people could die and become ill from diseases linked to these substances.

According to reports, the family of a deceased refinery worker recently filed a lawsuit against the worker’s former employer, Texaco. Although 14 other corporations have been named in the lawsuit, Texaco is serving as the primary defendant. The refinery worker’s life was taken at an early age due to cancer and the family claims that the cancer was wrongfully caused.

Lawsuit Details

The lawsuit was filed by plaintiffs Kelly Dial and Wesley Maida, who are the children of the deceased worker, Samuel Maida Jr. According to the suit, Samuel worked for Texaco at its Port Arthur facility for several years before the 1970’s when the risks of benzene were discovered.

Samuel was allegedly exposed to benzene, a known carcinogen, during his time at Texaco but was not warned of the risks or protected in any way. As a result, his health was jeopardized and his life was taken at any early age. The company reportedly failed to warn any of their workers of the dangers of benzene and the suit states that they were negligent and should have been aware that their products were dangerous and contained benzene.

Man Suffers from Leukemia

As a result of the benzene exposure, Samuel spent the last months of his life suffering from leukemia before it suddenly took his life. Among the other defendants named in the suit are Chevron, Dow Chemical, and PPG Industries.

Samuel’s family claims that he suffered extreme mental anguish and physical impairment before his life was taken. His family also reportedly had to pay thousands in medical expenses, suffered from loss of companionship and lost wages due to their sudden loss.

“Such Defendants have not only demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice human beings such as Samuel Maida Jr., but they have inexcusably neglected to utilize available technology and methods and neglected to develop new technology and methods to control such hazards,” claims the suit.

A teenage girl from Syracuse, New York recently lost her long battle with leukemia at the age of 15. The girl reportedly served as an inspiration to central New Yorkers who joined together to help save her life. Several members of the community joined together and donated bone marrow in attempt to prolong the girls life; however, her illness had progressed to an untreatable state and her life was taken late last week.

Leukemia Proves to be Untreatable

Eunique Darby was only a freshman at Corcoran High School when she was hospitalized for her illness. She was reportedly diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she was nine years old and has been treated for the cancer ever since.

While recovering from a bone marrow transplant she received at the Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York, she suddenly died. Darby’s donor match was discovered in August after doctors had to restart their search in May when problems were found with the first donor.

During her search for the right match, drivers were held to encourage the community, particularly those of African-American decent to join the Bone Marrow Donor Registry. The response was phenomenal; though despite the effort, Darby’s life was taken at a young age due to this fatal illness.

Leukemia Details

Leukemia is a form of cancer that doctors and researchers continue to study and find better treatments for. In some cases, the illness is hereditary; however, in others leukemia develops due to exposure to benzene or radiation. Treatments are available for this type of cancer, though depending upon the time of diagnosis and the body’s response to treatments and therapies, the cancer can at times be fatal.

It was announced last Tuesday that ExxonMobil Corp. would be going to court in a billion-dollar lawsuit against them. The company reportedly chose its bottom line over the well-being and safety of the Maryland community and as a result, may have to pay a hefty price.

Faulty equipment from Exxon’s site allowed for a leak from a damaged fuel line in 2006 for more than a month. As a result, 25,000 gallons of contaminated wells, including deadly toxins like benzene, were emitted putting hundreds of locals at risk.

Exxon Under Fire for Benzene Exposure

“Exxon was on notice it had problems with the line leak detector … and they did nothing. It’s not like they didn’t have the economic wherewithal to do something,” Stephen L. Snyder Snyder told jurors in his opening statement in Baltimore County Circuit Court. “This was a corporation that knowingly or deliberately left in an unreliable piece of equipment.”

According to reports, an estimated 150 observers, many of them plaintiffs, packed the Jacksonville courthouse nearly an hour before the trail began. Snyder stands to represent them all and has supposedly asked all of them not to speak to reporters regarding the trial.

Company Accused of Breaking the Law

The documents which Snyder as presented to the jury thus far reportedly detail how Exxon knowingly went against the law and the good of the people, acting with negligence. As early as 1998, Exxon officials reportedly knew that the line leak detectors were outdated which could make for potential problems, though they failed to do anything.

A recent study conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) analyzed the effects of benzene exposure at Hanford in Washington as well as at other nuclear sites. Researchers reportedly found that nuclear defense site workers who are exposed to low levels of radiation have an increased risk of dying from leukemia later on in life.

The study took a detailed look at the doses of radiation that the average worker at a nuclear site might be exposed over a lifetime of work. According to the NIOSH previous studies have looked at the link between exposure and leukemia and found a relationship between the fatal cancer and high levels of radiation exposure. In the U.S., 71 out of 10,000 men are expected to die from leukemia. For workers exposed to three rem of radiation in their places of work, the risk of dying from leukemia increased to 77 men out of 10,000.

“We emphasize that if workers are exposed to three rem the risk is very low,” explains Mary Schubauer-Berigan, a NIOSH epidemiologist.

Details of Leukemia Research

Researchers looked at workers who are exposed to more than one rem of radiation. These exposed workers chances of dying from leukemia were then compared to workers exposed to less than one rem. The Department of Energy limits supposedly limits radiation exposure to 5 rem per year; however, during practice tests radiation exposure is controlled to less than 0.5 rem per year.

The study looked specifically at five federal sites: Hanford, Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.

According to recent reports, a lymphoma treatment was recently developed by Biogen Idec that is showing promise of being effective in those who are suffering from leukemia. The combination therapy has been tested in late-stage human clinical trials and researchers are hopeful that this could be the breakthrough they’ve been waiting for.

The treatment involves Rituxan, a drug that was first approved by the FDA in 1997, combined with two chemotherapy medications. Testing showed that this combination therapy was much more effective in patients than chemotherapy alone.

Causes of Leukemia

Leukemia is an illness that afflicts thousands of people yearly in America and is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow. This form of cancer is typically caused by an irregular production of blood cells in the body.

Although leukemia can inflict children at a young age whose red and white blood cells reproduce sporadically, the illness is commonly caused by exposure to benzene as well. Benzene is a toxic chemical that can be found in gasoline, certain rubbers, and dyes.

Rituxan Details

Rituxan was originally approved as a treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma until it was realized that the medication could be useful as a treatment for lymphoma. The medication has also been approved to treat those living with rheumatoid arthritis.

Biogen Idec is based out of Cambridge, Massachusetts and is partnering with California-based Genetech to begin marketing the drug.