NEW RADIATION SUIT FILED AGAINST LOS ALAMOS LAB
HOUSTON, TX, April 9, 2008 --/WORLD-WIRE/--Today Mr. Michael Howell, a partner from the law firm of Reich & Binstock, LLP of Houston, Texas, along with Mr. Phil Gaddy and Mr. David Jaramillo of the law firm Gaddy and Jaramillo, located in Albuquerque, NM, announced the filing of a landmark law suit by Dr. René Ryman of Illinois against The Regents of the University of California and the Zia Company for the releases of plutonium from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, which allegedly caused the death of Dr. Ryman’s father, Lowell Edward Ryman. The lawsuit has been filed in Federal District Court against the Regents of the University of California, who formerly operated the Los Alamos facility. Extensive research has determined that the facility released and disposed dangerous amounts of plutonium in several public areas, including canyons adjacent to the facility where children would frequently play. The lawsuit alleges that the radiation exposures in these canyons along with other releases from the Los Alamos facility caused the death of Lowell Ryman from multiple myeloma, an environmental cancer caused by exposure to plutonium. The United States Congress has determined that radiation causes many forms of cancer and leukemia, including multiple myeloma.
A recent report published by the Federal Government’s Centers for Disease Control confirmed that the Los Alamos facility has grossly under-reported historic radiation emissions by a factor of nearly 60-fold. This government report suggests that the plutonium emissions from the Los Alamos Laboratories exceeded the combined releases of the nation’s much larger plutonium production facilities in Hanford, Washington; Savannah River, Georgia; and Rocky Flats, Colorado.
In addition to the large plutonium releases, many residents lived very near the Los Alamos facility, across the street or adjacent to the property, compared to many miles of distance between the residents and plutonium production facilities located in other states. The combination of these conditions resulted in the residents of Los Alamos being exposed to much larger doses of radiation than any other production facility in the United States.
For more information please contact, Michael Howell at (800) 622-7271.
22 comments:
I am in my mid forties,grew up in Los Alamos and have worked at TA-55 for several years. My father worked at the lab for over forty years-he passed away several years ago from cancer related to asbestos. My uncle also worked at the lab for over thirty years-he passed away several years ago from a cancer that affected his ability to make red blood cells. I do not believe that either of them
had "technical over exposure" but then again they worked at the lab in the good old days when they didn't worry about little uptakes or exposures. As for myself I have had four or five skin contaminations-one fairly serious involving an acid burn and two positive nasal counts.
I am fairly skeptical regarding most lawsuits. I also believe that the work done at the lab is truly important to our national security and needs to continue. That said, over the years I have seen a lot of things go on at the lab that were pretty scary. I have seen incidents covered up, investigations into events that just plain got the facts wrong and a bunch of butt covering. I guess I don't really knowwhat my point is other than maybe some of the health problems people have and are experiencing are related to exposures at the lab and around town.
Frank, If I remember correctly,you were a contractor brought in to do some work on the UPS switches in the PF-4 basement.The UPS room is at the backside of the vault and because ofthe restricted access it is not surveyed for contamination or radiation levels. The folks doing the work either were exposed to some loose contamination and hed positive nasal counts or were exposed to a high radiation area (being right next to the vault)
The gross misstatements and exaggerations published by the CDC contractors (ChemRisk and Shonka Associates) in their reports about LANL's releases (the LAHDRA project) have been documented earlier in this and the predecessor blog. These will provide no support to the lawsuit since they will be so easily debunked.
The press release cited in the top post (not a news story), states "The United States Congress has determined that radiation causes many forms of cancer and leukemia, including multiple myeloma." How in the world Congress has the expertise to "determine" this is anyone's guess. This is a simple, routine, self-serving press release by a law firm seeking to tilt the field in their favor at the beginning of a suit.
From 8:24 PM ..."This is a simple, routine, self-serving press release by a law firm seeking to tilt the field in their favor at the beginning of a suit."
And so how exactly is this any different than any other lawsuit placed against LANL by a nutjob? LANL ALWAYS settles with a huge wad of cash even when the Lab lawyers know damn well the Lab can win the case ... just ask anyone of our legal eagles in the Lab Counsel's office...
It is correct that UC (almost) always settled for big bucks. LANS has a big corporate profit to protect and no indemnity that UC enjoyed as a nonprofit. I suspect things will be different under LANS.
The tone of the press release, the language used, and the alleged "facts" reported make it sound like total bullshit. It is amazing how these people know so much about "large plutonium releases", right in our back yard, when even our environmentalist brethren do not mention them. Or am I missing something?
4/9/08 7:33 PM,
There were only a few rooms I didn't enter at PF-4 and as far as I can remember they were all on the upper level. Also, I don't recall seeing UPSs or UPS switches on the lower level. It is possible one of my coworkers performed that work while I was somewhere else, though.
How about the Americium spill at Sigma, many people were exposed? What about the high levels of D-38, and Pu at the CMR Buidling? on and on.... people are still being exposed.
The press release cited in the top post (not a news story), states "The United States Congress has determined that radiation causes many forms of cancer and leukemia, including multiple myeloma." How in the world Congress has the expertise to "determine" this is anyone's guess.
================
I found that humorous also. It doesn't say
the American Medical Association has
determined radiation causes myeloma...
or it doesn't say the National Cancer
Institute has determined radiation
causes myeloma...; it says that the
US Congress has made that determination.
How does one conclude that a debating
society for a bunch of politicians has
the expertise to make a pronouncement
on current medical understanding?
It looks like we have another frivolous
lawsuit seeking unwarrented damages just
because it involves "cancer" and
"radiation".
I didn't see LANS as a defendant. I see the UC Regents and Zia Company.
Nevermind.
But we're the best and brightest! But...but...but...
"Even a dumb animal knows not to crap in its own den. But not the folks from Alamos. Unbelievable!" (4/11/08 9:39 AM)
I understand that you are just trying to make your brainless hate-LANL point, but your analogy is ridiculous. It is based on the incorrect premise that contamination is done on purpose or out of sheer ignorance. Nobody wants contamination, including the workers at LANL you presume to be fools. The fact is that, in good faith, people try hard to prevent accidents, even if they are not 100% successful in doing so.
An equally valid analogy would be, "Construction workers are fools because they love falling to their deaths."
Shorter 11:09: Who are you going to believe, [11:09] or your lying eyes.
PS - "The fact is that, in good faith, people try hard to prevent accidents, even if they are not 100% successful in doing so."
Evidence please?
Your so-called "good faith" is exactly what is being questioned.
11:48 am: "Evidence please?
Your so-called "good faith" is exactly what is being questioned."
Right, LANL employees are purposefully causing accidents, which likely as not, involve themselves as victims. Are you a complete dolt? Or just blinded to common sense by your hatred of LANL? Tell me you actually believe that LANL employees want accidents and environmental releases that will threaten harm to themselves and their families before they ever threaten the folks downstream. What a jerk.
PS - Frank, you should sue the Pu contamination fairy for your incident, since clearly it is logically impossible that any LANL staff could have been responsible for allowing contamination to exist.
In my case the finger pointing may come later. It is plausible to me that no LANL employee intentionally did anything wrong until after I contacted the lab to ask what I had been exposed to.
If employee's don't keep pressure on LAN's they will simply do as they choose, right or wrong. It is up to the employees to make changes. Safety or lack of, will be with us from now on. We may not be working there, but our chrildren will. The new Pit Facility sounds like it may be here to stay. This will create the only few jobs in the area that pay the "big bucks" in northern New Mexico. This is what the former Los Alamos Scientific Lab will end up as, a Pit Manufacturing Plant, what a shame. Thanks Pete Domenici.
11:48 am: "Evidence please?"
I stated that "in good faith, people try hard to prevent accidents, even if they are not 100% successful in doing so." That should be obvious to anyone with common sense. I can only go by my experience. Safety awareness is drilled into us on a daily basis. With or without the awareness training, nobody would want radiation contamination where they work or live. If you do not believe it, then the burden of proof is on you.
Statements like yours, common among LANL haters, make it appear that you all suffer from some mental deficiency. You really ought to consider the stupidity of your statements before you make them.
"This will create the only few jobs in the area that pay the "big bucks" in northern New Mexico. This is what the former Los Alamos Scientific Lab will end up as, a Pit Manufacturing Plant, what a shame." (11:25 PM)
What is wrong with you people? A Pit Manufacturing Plant sounds like a swell idea for Los Alamos! It will generate lots of profits for my family owned company, Bechtel, and for our friends over at BWXT. It will help generate lots of high paying VP positions for former NNSA managers who scratch our backs. And let's not forget about all of the great things it will do to help support high paying positions and perks within the top levels of LANS LLC. What's not to like? Let's get cracking and start shoveling the ground to build it!
Mike needs to get started by hiring as many Bechtel engineers and construction managers as possible for CMRR so we can load up LANL with a proper "Bechtel style" of corporate culture. The new hires can take over the slots we plan to vacate that are currently held by all those worthless, pointed-head scientists.
- Riley Bechtel
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