Dr. Yang Faces Cross-Examination
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kris McLean wrapped up his direct examination of Dr. Julie Yang this afternoon, briefly working through several miscellaneous exhibits. Most of McLean’s questions had to do with scientific efforts made by Grace to “bind” asbestos fibers, a process of wetting (or otherwise treating) asbestos fibers to prevent them from entering the ambient atmosphere. Yang testified that none of Grace’s binding efforts were ever completely successful in mitigating the amount of airborne asbestos.
McLean asked a few other questions about asbestos related scientific studies conducted by Grace, but Yang’s memory of these ancient events provided little evidence for the record. McLean ended his direct examination around 1:00 pm and yielded to David Krakoff, attorney for defendant Henry Eschenbach, for cross-examination.
Krakoff led Yang through many specific questions regarding the hamster studies. His questions delved into Yang’s pre-Grace employment with the industrial supplier Johns Manville, Manville’s own studies into tremolite and vermiculite effects, and specific test protocols. Krakoff got Yang to testify that the tremolite used in various animal studies was either injected or surgically implanted directly into the pleuras of hamsters and rats, a significantly different process of ingestion from that which Grace employees would have encountered. Thus, the defense again made the point that the tremolite exposures of the hamster study differ significantly from the exposures of the residents of Libby, a point that calls into question the evidentiary value of the hamster study.
The court paused for the afternoon break during this line of questioning.
Mark Lancaster – posted 5:10 PM
Posted: March 19th, 2009 under Law.
Comments
Comment from Mike Crill Missoula,Mt
Time March 19, 2009 at 8:35 pm
And the rats turned into people and Libby continues to suffer and die…WHY?????
Comment from Terry Trent
Time March 19, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Dear Mike – If you are asking a serious question as to “why”…and you really want to know the answers? The answer most easily stated is: “We do not want to panic the people”. Well that is today’s mantra. It used to be “we do not want to scare your employees or your clients”.
Under both of these guises, the most fantastic of web weaving has occurred by Public Health officials and politicians and it continues today. More fantastic than David Latham’s latest yarn.
In short, you and your family were not informed, BEFORE you were at risk, before you inhaled Tremolite, because government felt you would panic, or that you would get mad, or that you would tell people on them or sue somebody or make a financial mess somehow. To avoid that, they allowed papers to publish that “Libby is Safe”, before the clean up even started and all through it!! They sold your life and health, your family’s life and health, in a wager. A probability exercise. That wager was: “We bet that if they do get sick, they won’t know who was responsible, they won’t sue us, and they will simply die quietly and never make a fuss”. It is really really important that you die quietly Mike, other than cause embarrassment for our government.
That Mike is why. And it is happening today in every “asbestos” community in the United States. It is always accompanied by the same headlines “This place or that place is safe”. Not once has EPA or ATSDR ever told anyone any differently. Not once have they stopped Real Estate agents, or a Corporation or a Newspaper or a Developer or an Engineer or a Geologist or an asbestos “expert” from telling people “it is safe”. Not once. Not even when companies and communities have begged them for answers. Nor have they ever let the words “imminent health risk” leave their lips, with the one exception of Dr. Christopher Weis, who once again, got fired for saying it.
Best to you,
TTrent
Comment from John Derry
Time March 20, 2009 at 10:27 am
Again, T. Trent you’re hitting the nail upon the head. The storyline, the players, you got it right, I might only add, more of the community was involved. And the grease for it all was and still is, money.
And Mike, head your gentle friends words, it’s really really important you die quietly.( tee hee)
Comment from Terry Trent
Time March 20, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Thanks John. I hope you all know that I have the greatest sympathies for everyone affected by Libby Tremolite. I truly do. I am outraged. As I am for everyone in similar and worse situations outside of Libby. But you are right, and I could rarely be more facetious, it is very very important that the people of Libby shut the hell up and die quietly. Most of all, like the jury, never ever do any research to find out how this happened.
Thanks again and thanks for the additional info.
Terry
Comment from John Derry
Time March 21, 2009 at 9:06 am
You are too kind Terry. And while your sympathies are greatly appreciated, I would say, in Libby they are generally wasted. As Don pointed out earlier, if the mine opened up tomorrow men would go back to work there. ( they wouldn’t need no uncomfortable dust mask either- being the macho men they are). Having been born, raised, and “educated” ( my excuse for word manglazation in previous posts) here in good ‘oll Libby, can attest to the fact that the average local is an extremely narrow/small minded bigot. Most would just as soon have the spotlight turned off, the mine reopened, and get back to the business of cutting down the forest, all the while expecting more “ear mark” money from Baucus / congress. They will gladly, die quietly, of “natural causes”.
My only hope is that these proceedings will wake up some folks to the fact that EPA/ATSDR not only did not do their jobs, but LIED and put lives in harms way.
As you have pointed there are places that are even worse and are not getting the help they need, much less what taxpayers are paying for.
Again, thank you Terry, for all your insight, knowledge, and most of all, wit.
Huggs
J.
Comment from Terry Trent
Time March 21, 2009 at 9:26 am
Wow! John. You say the things that many of us in the outside world are afraid to say for fear of hurting someone’s feelings. Only one of your own can truly say it with insight and conviction.
I know what you say is true. I grew up in small towns such as Libby and I recognize the people I loved in your words. I always call them heroes and mountains of human beings at the same time that I offer them money to go buy a neck.
None of the people in Libby or the people I have known in my past homes were obligated to be overly smart. They found tough and rugged, fulfilling lives in the beautiful and adventurous settings of our recently lost old west. Not even WR Grace was required to be smart in the spirit of the adventure they started and shared with the town. We all know who gets paid, a lot, to be smart, and they failed miserably. Not just failed, but were afraid to deal with the changing world for which they were hired to do precisely that. And still refuse today.
Thank you for your stunning insights and I am going to pass your words along with great pride to those who I know need to hear them.
Best,
Terry
Comment from Mike Crill Missoula,Mt
Time March 21, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Just wondering whats ment me dieing quietly. I hope I am beyond that and that what I do leave will educate and save people long after I am gone. If not.. what a road it has been.Stay away from Libby.Let Libby die alone…. No more test rats…
Comment from John Derry
Time March 22, 2009 at 11:44 am
Mike is wondering “what we mean, quietly dieing”? Terry and I are being facetious, Mike.
I’m glad Terry mentioned he loved some of these small town folks, I do too, for they are the salt of the earth.
Comment from Mike Crill Missoula,Mt
Time March 22, 2009 at 4:12 pm
OH…OK… I love U guys too!!! To me U R special too along with alot of good folks I have got to know in my 40 years of Libby Mt. I am hoping to God I can lay this WR Grace down when the trial is over. What will come from this other than the truth is a action to protect people/families. IF I could see Libby not being sold as safe and advertised as unsafe, that would insure,for me, that no more people/families will suffer till death from Libby. Now if we could have mike crills in every town where populations are being wiped out and no one is stopping the deadly exposure. But to lie to sell Libby as safe is murder. And I hope that Libby will be seen for what it does to people even thou all looks so beautiful. The pain and suffering till death is not worth the air to breathe in Libby…now that I am suffering till death… like most of Libby. Once said long ago” The pen is mightier than the sword”. And my letters have been described as “The Black Hand of Mike Crill”. Makes one wonder just what kind of a place we live in huh.Libby Mt…. I know the killings continue and so does every one else. Some times it does seem like beating a dead horse.I been beating the crap out of this same horse for almost twenty years. Been kicked a few times, been thrown many times and I have gotten back up and brushed myself off and got back on to kick ass and win what I started. This ride has been a long and wild one.I got one more ride to take. I hold on with my anger and truth and being the Gladiator I am to keep fighting for what is right when so much is wrong. Most things I have fought are things that were done to me or my family or loved one. Injustice in a world of almost no Justice/Lincoln County/Montana where the rest of the world keeps going on by and here we are full of asbestos and dying. When I can get a Email from the Mother of three, thanking me, for telling her, the truth about Libby and she checked it out herself,as Libby is being sold as safe. That was my biggest reward for what I have done and there are many. It really is amazing how so so many in Govt and this civilized world, hate me for saving people by telling the truth. Boy… sure does look like they have something to hide…maybe… Maybe too many sick and dying and dead to admit truth. Some where along this road it has to end and the light at the end of this tunnel is about to close…for now. I hope for me too. All of us… God Bless, my friends… Roar like a lion and go out like a Gladiator. And what a battle it has been.My pleasure to meet all you fine people out there, with lives the same…
Comment from Terry Trent
Time March 23, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Good work Mike. And yes, I know it sounds funny, but that is what I meant by “dying quietly”…The hell with that!!…..”Roar Like a Lion”!!
TTrent
Comment from Terry Trent
Time March 19, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Nice to see how obvious some of this fiber behavior was to others. What Dr. Yang speaks of below, is something EPA would never in their wildest dreams ever “discover”. They are worse than incompetent. In fact in 2005 EPA ignored this exact evidence and passed a wide spread regulation allowing the use of binders as a “safe” way of mitigating “asbestos”. In that case they authorized a binder that made inhalation of fibers more possible. Making the toxicity possibilities worse than it already is. See: regulations.gov/fdmspublic/ContentViewer?objectId=09000064800f3f6b&…
If there is a humanly possible mistake that EPA can make, if there are any horrible practices defeating health protection for the public….EPA has done every one of them…..twice!! Mostly on purpose, but some times simply because they are idiots.
“If you bind the fine particles at least the dust levels will be down,” she said, noting that the improvement was only temporary. “Once it dries up it won’t work.” – Dr. Julie Yang