Written Testimony of Vina K. Colley

(Note: for personal reasons Vina couldn't attend the hearings on March 22, 2000. This is her written statement from an earlier meeting)
 

Testimony on behalf of Vina Colley October 30, 1999 January 14, 2000	Dr. David Michael’s assistant secretary of Environmental, Safety and Health Office for the Department of Energy. Held a public meeting in Piketon, Ohio, on October 30, 1999 Sen. George Voinovich, Sen. Mike Dewine, and Rep, Ted Strickland. Listen to testimonies of workers to a standing room only of Cold War Heroes.  Docnments and written statements were submitted on by behalf.
Request for: Docnments, Interview, and Statement by calling 740-259-4688. Address: 3706 McDermott Pond Creek               McDermott, Ohio 45652	Office of Oversight Independent Investigation of EH & H Issues Interview of Vina Colley, January 14, 2000 Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon Ohio.  Mr., Bill Eckroade, and Mr. Dave Berkley, written statements and other documents were submitted on my behalf.

 

      I would like to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to testify to this committee.  My name is Vina K. Colley; and I am a former worker that is still on the recall list from the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant located in Piketon, Ohio.  Due to chemical and radioactive exposure, I have spent the last fourteen years of my life in and out of hospitals.  Health permitting, I spend much of my time gathering documents about the Portsmouth Gaseous diffusion plant in attempts to understand what has drastically degraded my health and others that have or are presently working at the facility.  Recently, the Department of Energy admitted that it knowingly exposed workers to neptunium and plutonium, along with all the other radioactive and toxic chemicals while employed at the Portsmouth Plant.

     I was hired 1980 as a second class electrician for Goodyear Atomic Corporation.  In 1986, the new contractor, Martin Marietta Energy Systems took over operations of the facility.  At the time I hired in, I was a healthy, energetic, and hard working employee.  I felt lucky to acquire such a good paying job that also served my country.  For patriotism runs as deep as poverty and unemployment in the rural Appalachian Valley surrounding the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant.  It was the most money I had never made.  I also thought it was the safest job I’ve ever had due to the large amount of attention given to the wearing of hard hats and safety glasses.  I realize now, I was wrong.  The entire time of my on site employment, fellow coworkers and myself were exposed to radiation and hazardous chemicals, without being informed of the health effects or dangers involved.  The practice of withholding information from the workers, concerning the hazards involved in their work, has been documented as early as 1947.  As seen in a memorandum signed by DR Stafford L. Warren, then chairman of the Interim Medical Advisory Committee.
 

     In 1981, while cleaning oil from drums with cloth rags, I was splashed on the neck and mouth area.  Immediately after finishing the task, a rash developed over the splashed on my face and neck. The Plant’s doctor diagnosis, made that day, was probable contact dermatitis.  It was determined that the oil contained polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB).

     In 1983, while cleaning contaminated transformers with trichlorethylene over a several month period, my personal physician frequently saw me.  The tasked involved working inside the transformer, without a respirator, and applying the trichlorethylene with a rag dipped from a 5-gallon bucket.  Once the workday was finished, we dumped the remaining fluids down the floor drain.  I now know these drains eventually make their way to the Ohio River, via the Scioto River.  During this time, I was experiencing several health problems, to include: chronic fatigue, extremity numbness, and dizziness.  In March, while cleaning the transformers, I was splashed in the face with trichlorethylene.  As a result of the splash, a rash developed on my face and neck.  Upon examination, my physician determined that I had been exposed to hazardous chemicals.  I returned to the facility to inform my supervisors that my doctor felt a survey of the work area should be conducted.  Plant Health Physics conducted a site survey.  While the area was being tested, I was given a full-face respirator.  The test was canceled after seven minutes.  During which time I exceeded the 15-minute limit for the parts per million measurement.  Following the test, workers were no longer allowed into the transformers, cleaning only to occur from the outside, with the equivalent of a squirt bottle to be used for cleaning purposes.

     From the 1983 incident, my health problems began to surface.  In the beginning I thought my medical problems originated from working with trichlorethylene and polychlorinated biphenyl while cleaning the transformers.    However after years of research, I realize the nightmare began the day I walked through the plant doors.
 

     Due to my degrading health, I was forced to file a workers occupational disease compensation claim.  In March of 1983 I was on occupational leave until January of 1984 when I was recalled back to work.  Upon returning to work, I was place on restriction I was to wear paper coveralls, rubber gloves and paper shoes.

     Sometime in 1985 my job was to replace cables, over several months in the X300 building.  It was later confirmed that it was contaminated with hazardous material.  The cables resided in trays that were oil covered.   I asked Howard Lyons, a guy that I was working with, where the oil comes from. He said it ‘s been that way for years.  I even observed while crawling inside the cable trays, mist and vapor fumes. I noticed rashes developing all over my body, degraded health with same symptoms as in 83.  I called health physics to test the area and it was confirmed that there was contamination. I was pulled away from the job.  Health physics personnel stated that I was very sensitive to contamination and that I was better than any meter that they had.  I was pulled of that job but, other workers were put on the same job and the company never told them to wear anything. No one told them there was a problem.

     I was afraid to call anyone at first, but as the weather got hotter outside the cable contamination was getting stickier and I was getting sicker.  The foreman then placed me on a different job-site.  My job was to dismantle an old piece of equipment.  The wind was blowing during this time, and I noticed shinny silver/gray airborne particles.  I completed the job as quickly as possible. I feel it was a message from the supervision to remind me to be quiet about the safety condition.
 

     After I was finished I was accompanied by my supervisor to work on radiation alarm problem in X333 (processes) building, he drove me over in a golf cart to the work site.   We entered the top floor of the building; we drove through the building to the location of the radiation alarm.  As we reached the area, observed large quality of white/gray smoke being released into building, the supervisor immediately turned the cart around and left the area.  Nothing was said about the release. All he said was it is someone else’s problem.

     Shortly after, I became very ill.  I had to see physician, a biopsy was performed, and light gray particles were discovered in my lungs.  Dr. White stated he had seen another patient earlier, who had same symptoms as I had.  Dr. White recommended that I go to my union and have them send me to an Occupational Health and Safety doctor.  One week later, the Occupational Health and Safety doctor discovered  2.12mg per liter industrial fluoride in my urine, after leaving the plant.  His impressions were that this recent exposure has aggravated my Industrial Chronic Bronchitis, Hypothyroidism, and Gastro-intestinal upset.  The doctor said the violation of my work restriction has again worsened my medical condition.  I was placed on worker compensation untill June 20, 1987. I was sent to Dr. George Esham, who was told to check me out but not to run any tests because workers comp would not pay for tests.  He said my stomach was somewhat fatty but he could see no reason why I couldn’t return to work. From this report, I was taken off workers compensation.  Then, I was immediately placed on layoff status and I was still sick.   Because of this, I lost all of my benefits and seniority.  I was waiting to get into Dr. Song’s office because I was sick to my stomach.  I had made an office call before Dr. Esham’s visit, but couldn’t get in untill Aug 18, 1987.  I had three tumors Dr. Song called me at home and said due to the enlargement of my stomach since the last ultra sound, and due to the my chemical involvement from the plant, he felt we should do an emergency surgery right away. I was never so afraid in all my life.  You just can’t imagine what went through my head that night.

I have filed safety complaints since 1983 hoping that I would be able to work in a safe place.  But, as a result of my complaining I lost my job at Goodyear Atomic and Martin Marietta, and now United State Enrichment Corporation but even more devastating, I lost my health.  I have had three tumors removed, a total hysterectomy, one tumor from the back of my neck removed, Chemical Bronchitis, shortness of breath, thyroid problems, rashes, loss of hair, irritable bowels, allergies, stomach problems, chemical depression, Gastro-intestinal upset memory loss, Osteoarthritis, fibromyalia, Organic brain syndrome secondary to TCE exposure, and Fume/vapor Reps Diseases.  In the last two years, I have fallen and broken my left ankle. I later fell and broke the pins in the same ankle and pulled ligaments in my right knee. I also fell and broke my cheekbone on the right side.  Now, remember when I went to work at the Gaseous Diffusion Plant I was a healthy worker. The plant gave me a physical and only hired healthy workers.

     After all this company put me through you would think that would be enough. Well let me tell you it wasn’t.  To make things worse the companies’ medical staff and attorneys falsified my records. They told doctors that a one-time splash in the face caused all my problems. They also told the doctors that I had a disease that I never had, when I had not ever even seen the doctor they said I had seen.  One doctor G.N.Spears, MD at the plant told William Bradley, MD in Columbus, that my past history indicates questionable positive serology. The doctor he named was Dr. Ramon Malaya of Portsmouth, who never even saw me. The Industrial Commission ordered the bureau to send me to a toxicologist. When I got to his office Dr. Michael Kelly of Columbus, Ohio (a toxicologist was told to check me for depression and that obviously is not his field of work).  But he did think I was depressed.

     The State of Ohio Industrial commission sent me to another doctor in 1991.  His name was Dr. Brown.   He said my injury described is from trichlorethylene being splashed in my face.  He did note with reasonable medical certainty that the connective tissue disease was caused by multiple chemical exposure.  In addition, he reported that the multiple exposures to the various chemicals that I described in my work place could have caused my problems. But because the company and Worker’s Compensation misled him, he gave a diagnosis based on the information provided to him by the company, and not from information he obtained himself.  Dr. Brown did not even perform any type of test to arrive at his own conclusion. In reality, the company had purposely and erroneously confused the 1981 and the 1983 Worker’s Compensation radiation and chemical exposure claims.  This led Dr. Brown to believe my medical problems were caused by a chemical splash to the face, when in reality, they were caused by repeated exposure to toxic chemicals.

     In 1995 during the Industrial Commission hearing I was called a leader of a citizen anti-nuclear energy group and was proven to show great leadership. Though I testified, the Industrial Commission Hearing Officers still did not seem to care that my physical health was deteriorating due to my exposures.  In addition, they continued to give no credibility to my personal doctor’s findings.  (Bear in mind that my personal Physician DID perform several batteries of tests and DID arrive at his own diagnosis.)

     In 1988 I was called back to work due to seniority, I was immediately told that I was handicapped and therefore unable to work.  This made absolutely no sense.  I was taken off Worker’s Compensation, and told by Dr. Esham and DOE attorneys Vorys, Sater & Pease, and DOE medical staff that I was able to work.  I was forced to file for my Social Security Disability. Workers Comp. pays for my doctors and medication but refuses to pay me because of their inaccurate reports. I have only used the 1981 and 1983 claims as examples, but I have been exposed to chemicals through no fault of my own several other times.  Submitted with this document are other reports of exposures provided to me by the company and Worker’s Compensation.

      In a news release given by the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability in 1994 the law firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease were paid 9.4 million dollars by the Federal Government between October 1990 and May 1992 to defend the operators of the Piketon plant and the Energy Department’s Mound Laboratory at Miamisburg. These are the same law firms used to fight workers compensation claims .The department paid the law firm 5.9 million to defend Martin Energy System and $3.5 million to defend Monsanto Chemical, the former operator of Mound.  With the inclusion of five other facilities that were defended similarly, a total of $47million has been expended by to fight exposure lawsuits.

      I have listened to many workers about their illnesses and watched many co-workers die of different diseases.  I participated in a meeting in Piketon where approximately 300 people attended, and only 40 were permitted to testify about their work-related health problems before time expired.  The remaining people had to mail their testimony in.  I happened to sit with five men with colon cancer. Several workers testified as to how sick they had become, and widows told of how they watched their husbands die horrible deaths.

     Given the conflict of interest and apparent deception by the Department of Energy, I urge you to conduct an objective investigation to reveal the true story about what has taken place at Piketon and the other Gaseous Diffusion Plants.  They are in effect, “Sending the fox to watch the hen house,” with the exception that it is not “hens” we are discussing, but the health and lives of real working class people.