The Cattail Forum

Swirve.com Links: Swirve.com Free Email Games Fantasy Sports E-Cards Movies Horoscopes Freebies Web Search

NOTICE: Beginning July 10th, 2008, this message board service will no longer be active or available for use.

The Cattail Forum / History and Personal Memories (closed) / Long-term Benzene ingestion

Cora Albert
User ID: 0889114 Jul 30th 5:30 PM
Hi, Kenny..it's Cora!
They are going to pull down ALL of Main St? What do they plan to do with Nana and Gramps old lot; I thought it was to be a park?
I would love to have your e-mail address, and Uncle Herb's, too; I'm creating the Wade/Dow scrapbook site, with our geneology and some anecdotes thrown in.
You know Dad is dying of cancer, right? Well, I was reading about non-Hodgkins lymphoma, among other things, when BENZENES caught my eye; terrible carcinogen, especially if you work with it daily; Dad worked with benzenes 5 days a week for 37 years!
Remember when we were little and used to have grand fun watching the stream turn different colors? And remember how TERRIBLE Nan and Gramp's water tasted and smelled? We must have consumed enormous quantities of benzenes...so who pays up? Striar is bankrupt. Where are they moving the folks who live on Main St. to? I know that is the worst place for the toxins; but Wendy's well water is contaminated, too, along with everyone else's who live within 2-300 yards from the river! What about those folks? If they want to move, who would want to buy a house with a contaminated well? Clinton, or whoever will be next President, should just declare Corinna a disaster area, so FEMA can help those people whose wells are contaminated find other housing, and they should give them FAIR MARKET VALUE for their houses!!
Well, now that I've found your page, I'll be a frequent visitor! E-mail me! It's...SonneEule@aol.com
Love ya,
Cousin Corey Lou

Ken
User ID: 1460434 Jul 30th 7:42 PM
There won't be any buildings left on Main Street in a few weeks. No one lives there now. Most of what used to be downtown Corinna belongs to the Department of Transportation and the Town. The new road and its right-of-way will take up considerable space through that area. It's hard to say what the lot on the corner will become when it's all over.

There is a municipal water system. Homes with contaminated wells have been switched over to that.

Danny Parker
User ID: 0324974 Jul 31st 8:22 AM
If FEMA helps the people of Corinna like it helped
all the people around New Bern, NC don't expect much. The only way the people got help was from the Red Cross, Salvation Army and the donations
from the people from this area. There are still
people living in campers almost a year after the
hurricans. I thank God the winters aren't as severe as Maine winters. Corinna won't even be a ghost town. There will probably be a plaque on the hi-way that reads "HERE LIES THE TOWN OF CORINNA".
Danny Parker

Ken
User ID: 1460434 Aug 1st 5:29 AM
I hope the people around Bern can get back on their feet. It is hard to imagine what it must be like living in the aftermath of such destruction. My best wishes to them.

The cleanup in Corinna is not an emergency and it's not a disaster. Sure, the contamination is a problem. It will cause changes in the way the land around the contaminated area can be used for many years. The ground water there will be unusable for a long time. However, the demolition of the mill and other buildings and the straightening of Route 7 would have happened eventually anyway. The EPA SuperFund status of the site caused the process to occur very fast. What probably would have taken many years will happen in two.

Danny is right. Corinna is not on it's way to becoming a ghost town. In fact, just the opposite is true. The natural process of change and growth has been given a jump-start. People are talking and planning for the future of the town more than I've ever seen before.

Nothing this complex and important to a town will ever be completely smooth. This kind of rapid change will always cause problems. But, on the whole, things are moving forward, fast and in a positive direction for the town.

Don Wyman
User ID: 8688133 Aug 1st 11:49 AM
I have watched the old mill come down (on your web site) and I have seen the planned highway construction drawings. I would be interested in seeing an artist concept of the "new" Corinna. Without at least a picture to go by there is no way to tell what the town will look like in the future. You don't build a house with out a blueprint. Great site Ken, by the way, do you have any more historical data about Corinna that is not on your site?

Ken
User ID: 1460434 Aug 2nd 5:19 AM
The new contractor on the job, Arthur D. Little has done a simple drawing of the new road through town. I don't know if I can get a copy but will try.

Marilyn Conway
User ID: 0561484 Aug 3rd 8:27 AM
I agree with Don Wyman - and would love to see an artist's drawing (or more than one) of the possibilities of the future Corinna. My vision is of a park, play ground and picnic area around the water area that is north of where the mill was, but that would be visible as you drove through the town. Above that area it would be nice to have a fishing area. Of course, the Stewart Library building should be the focal point.

Tessa Brown Guerrett
User ID: 9921013 Sep 14th 8:27 PM
Cora Albert's heartfelt message led to a question of my own. I'm so sorry to hear of her father. I grew up within a few hundred yards of the mill and often wonder whether my exposure to the poor air quality had any effect on my health. Although my exposure was minor compared to Cora's father, I am still concerned because my two year old son, also, had cancer.

Last fall, I went to a town meeting at which Doctors from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry were present. They were collecting medical information from residents for a health assessment of Corinna. They estimated that a draft of the health assessment report would be available for review in one year. Do you know if that has been issued? Has anyone else expressed concern about their long term exposure to chlorobenzene and the effect it may have on themselves and their children?

It truly is incredible that the Striar's dumped chlorobenzenes and other chemicals directly into the Sebasticook River. Maybe that is why they never lived in Corinna?!

Ken
User ID: 1460434 Sep 16th 5:45 AM
The report from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will be available soon.

As you may know, I am a member of the SCCE TAG Committee (for more information, see the link near the bottom of the front page of The Cattail Press). Summit Environmental Consultants, the company working for the TAG committee, has an independent toxicologist who will examine the report and help us interpret what it says.

Jason Brown
User ID: 9050343 Sep 22nd 1:50 PM
My profound condolences to Tessa and her family. I share her concerns and her suspicions. I grew up drinking water from the well Cora mentions, so as you can imagine, I will be very eager to read ATSDR's report.

Tessa Brown Guerrett
User ID: 1084044 Oct 3rd 8:56 AM
Jason, I'm happy to tell you my son is very healthy and in Kindergarten. He's been in remission for three years.

Linda Deering
User ID: 0422394 Oct 3rd 6:58 PM
I, too, am concerned with the waste that was dumped in the water. I livef in what they used to call the Inn. The big gray apartment building just behind the Turner Block. I am sure the wells that we got our water from were contaminated. My sister used to work in the mill. She died with cancer.

Jason Brown
User ID: 0331974 Nov 1st 8:15 AM
Hi, Ken. Any word on the report that ATSDR was preparing? Am I right in saying that the report will be publicly posted?

Ken
User ID: 2358584 Nov 1st 4:09 PM
There is another TAG meeting on November 6. I will hear more about the report then. It is a public document, available at the town office with all other documents produced during the cleanup.

Ken
User ID: 2358584 Nov 15th 4:40 AM
The ATSDR report has not yet been released. I'm told it should be out soon, but I do not know just when that will be.

Cindy Berube
User ID: 1585334 Sep 5th 10:10 AM
Hi Ken, this is in response to the entry of Cora Albert(7/30), Tessa Guerrett(9/14), And Linda Deering(10/3). I have been keeping up with all that has been going on in Corinna since 7/01 when I discovered that you all had a web site. I too have a family member, my son, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins' Disease in 12/99. He had radiation treatments which is very debiliatating especially to a teenager. He was 16 at the time. He now has had 1 year free of disease. I have often wondered that perhaps since we lived in downtown Corinna just next door to the old white schoolhouse if perhaps some link in the water supply and the old mill had contributed to his disease. My son had many friends who lived next to the old railroad tracks, and the kids would sometimes go down Mill Street and play down by the water. I would be greatly interested in more information in regards to this matter and if there is any statistics available. My sympathy goes out to Cora and Linda and best of luck to Tessa's son.

Ken Dow
User ID: 0317884 Sep 6th 5:31 AM
Cindy-

There are two reports that will shed some light on the issues of exposure and health risks from the contamination on Corinna. One is the ATSDR report, which we are still waiting for. The other is the EPA's health risk assessment. It should be out in a few months. When these reports come out the TAG committee will be sure the information is available.

Alice Russell Belgad
User ID: 9544623 Jan 1st 10:04 PM
My sister Arlene is presently fighting cancer.Harold Jr and Irving Also Bertha have died from cancer but whle we lived near the mill we got drinking water from Reba Tuttle A Great Neighbor and friend.We did have hand pump by sink that brought in water from Corrundal Lake Thatwas when it was clean and also just below the upper dam.don't remember the colored water vtil I visited in the late 50's early 60's.

Alice Russell Belgad
User ID: 9544623 Jan 1st 10:04 PM
My sister Arlene is presently fighting cancer.Harold Jr and Irving Also Bertha have died from cancer but whle we lived near the mill we got drinking water from Reba Tuttle A Great Neighbor and friend.We did have hand pump by sink that brought in water from Corrundal Lake Thatwas when it was clean and also just below the upper dam.don't remember the colored water vtil I visited in the late 50's early 60's.

Cora Albert User ID: 0889114	Jul 30th 5:30 PM Hi, Kenny..it's Cora! They are going to pull down ALL of Main St? What do they plan to do with Nana and Gramps old lot; I thought it was to be a park? I would love to have your e-mail address, and Uncle Herb's, too; I'm creating the Wade/Dow scrapbook site, with our geneology and some anecdotes thrown in. You know Dad is dying of cancer, right? Well, I was reading about non-Hodgkins lymphoma, among other things, when BENZENES caught my eye; terrible carcinogen, especially if you work with it daily; Dad worked with benzenes 5 days a week for 37 years! Remember when we were little and used to have grand fun watching the stream turn different colors? And remember how TERRIBLE Nan and Gramp's water tasted and smelled? We must have consumed enormous quantities of benzenes...so who pays up? Striar is bankrupt. Where are they moving the folks who live on Main St. to? I know that is the worst place for the toxins; but Wendy's well water is contaminated, too, along with everyone else's who live within 2-300 yards from the river! What about those folks? If they want to move, who would want to buy a house with a contaminated well? Clinton, or whoever will be next President, should just declare Corinna a disaster area, so FEMA can help those people whose wells are contaminated find other housing, and they should give them FAIR MARKET VALUE for their houses!! Well, now that I've found your page, I'll be a frequent visitor! E-mail me! It's...SonneEule@aol.com Love ya, Cousin Corey Lou
Ken User ID: 1460434	Jul 30th 7:42 PM There won't be any buildings left on Main Street in a few weeks. No one lives there now. Most of what used to be downtown Corinna belongs to the Department of Transportation and the Town. The new road and its right-of-way will take up considerable space through that area. It's hard to say what the lot on the corner will become when it's all over. There is a municipal water system. Homes with contaminated wells have been switched over to that.
Danny Parker User ID: 0324974	Jul 31st 8:22 AM If FEMA helps the people of Corinna like it helped all the people around New Bern, NC don't expect much. The only way the people got help was from the Red Cross, Salvation Army and the donations from the people from this area. There are still people living in campers almost a year after the hurricans. I thank God the winters aren't as severe as Maine winters. Corinna won't even be a ghost town. There will probably be a plaque on the hi-way that reads "HERE LIES THE TOWN OF CORINNA". Danny Parker
Ken User ID: 1460434	Aug 1st 5:29 AM I hope the people around Bern can get back on their feet. It is hard to imagine what it must be like living in the aftermath of such destruction. My best wishes to them. The cleanup in Corinna is not an emergency and it's not a disaster. Sure, the contamination is a problem. It will cause changes in the way the land around the contaminated area can be used for many years. The ground water there will be unusable for a long time. However, the demolition of the mill and other buildings and the straightening of Route 7 would have happened eventually anyway. The EPA SuperFund status of the site caused the process to occur very fast. What probably would have taken many years will happen in two. Danny is right. Corinna is not on it's way to becoming a ghost town. In fact, just the opposite is true. The natural process of change and growth has been given a jump-start. People are talking and planning for the future of the town more than I've ever seen before. Nothing this complex and important to a town will ever be completely smooth. This kind of rapid change will always cause problems. But, on the whole, things are moving forward, fast and in a positive direction for the town.
Don Wyman User ID: 8688133	Aug 1st 11:49 AM I have watched the old mill come down (on your web site) and I have seen the planned highway construction drawings. I would be interested in seeing an artist concept of the "new" Corinna. Without at least a picture to go by there is no way to tell what the town will look like in the future. You don't build a house with out a blueprint. Great site Ken, by the way, do you have any more historical data about Corinna that is not on your site?
Ken User ID: 1460434	Aug 2nd 5:19 AM The new contractor on the job, Arthur D. Little has done a simple drawing of the new road through town. I don't know if I can get a copy but will try.
Marilyn Conway User ID: 0561484	Aug 3rd 8:27 AM I agree with Don Wyman - and would love to see an artist's drawing (or more than one) of the possibilities of the future Corinna. My vision is of a park, play ground and picnic area around the water area that is north of where the mill was, but that would be visible as you drove through the town. Above that area it would be nice to have a fishing area. Of course, the Stewart Library building should be the focal point.
Tessa Brown Guerrett User ID: 9921013	Sep 14th 8:27 PM Cora Albert's heartfelt message led to a question of my own. I'm so sorry to hear of her father. I grew up within a few hundred yards of the mill and often wonder whether my exposure to the poor air quality had any effect on my health. Although my exposure was minor compared to Cora's father, I am still concerned because my two year old son, also, had cancer. Last fall, I went to a town meeting at which Doctors from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry were present. They were collecting medical information from residents for a health assessment of Corinna. They estimated that a draft of the health assessment report would be available for review in one year. Do you know if that has been issued? Has anyone else expressed concern about their long term exposure to chlorobenzene and the effect it may have on themselves and their children? It truly is incredible that the Striar's dumped chlorobenzenes and other chemicals directly into the Sebasticook River. Maybe that is why they never lived in Corinna?!
Ken User ID: 1460434	Sep 16th 5:45 AM The report from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will be available soon. As you may know, I am a member of the SCCE TAG Committee (for more information, see the link near the bottom of the front page of The Cattail Press). Summit Environmental Consultants, the company working for the TAG committee, has an independent toxicologist who will examine the report and help us interpret what it says.
Jason Brown User ID: 9050343	Sep 22nd 1:50 PM My profound condolences to Tessa and her family. I share her concerns and her suspicions. I grew up drinking water from the well Cora mentions, so as you can imagine, I will be very eager to read ATSDR's report.
Tessa Brown Guerrett User ID: 1084044	Oct 3rd 8:56 AM Jason, I'm happy to tell you my son is very healthy and in Kindergarten. He's been in remission for three years.
Linda Deering User ID: 0422394	Oct 3rd 6:58 PM I, too, am concerned with the waste that was dumped in the water. I livef in what they used to call the Inn. The big gray apartment building just behind the Turner Block. I am sure the wells that we got our water from were contaminated. My sister used to work in the mill. She died with cancer.
Jason Brown User ID: 0331974	Nov 1st 8:15 AM Hi, Ken. Any word on the report that ATSDR was preparing? Am I right in saying that the report will be publicly posted?
Ken User ID: 2358584	Nov 1st 4:09 PM There is another TAG meeting on November 6. I will hear more about the report then. It is a public document, available at the town office with all other documents produced during the cleanup.
Ken User ID: 2358584	Nov 15th 4:40 AM The ATSDR report has not yet been released. I'm told it should be out soon, but I do not know just when that will be.
Cindy Berube User ID: 1585334	Sep 5th 10:10 AM Hi Ken, this is in response to the entry of Cora Albert(7/30), Tessa Guerrett(9/14), And Linda Deering(10/3). I have been keeping up with all that has been going on in Corinna since 7/01 when I discovered that you all had a web site. I too have a family member, my son, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins' Disease in 12/99. He had radiation treatments which is very debiliatating especially to a teenager. He was 16 at the time. He now has had 1 year free of disease. I have often wondered that perhaps since we lived in downtown Corinna just next door to the old white schoolhouse if perhaps some link in the water supply and the old mill had contributed to his disease. My son had many friends who lived next to the old railroad tracks, and the kids would sometimes go down Mill Street and play down by the water. I would be greatly interested in more information in regards to this matter and if there is any statistics available. My sympathy goes out to Cora and Linda and best of luck to Tessa's son.
Ken Dow User ID: 0317884	Sep 6th 5:31 AM Cindy- There are two reports that will shed some light on the issues of exposure and health risks from the contamination on Corinna. One is the ATSDR report, which we are still waiting for. The other is the EPA's health risk assessment. It should be out in a few months. When these reports come out the TAG committee will be sure the information is available.
Alice Russell Belgad User ID: 9544623	Jan 1st 10:04 PM My sister Arlene is presently fighting cancer.Harold Jr and Irving Also Bertha have died from cancer but whle we lived near the mill we got drinking water from Reba Tuttle A Great Neighbor and friend.We did have hand pump by sink that brought in water from Corrundal Lake Thatwas when it was clean and also just below the upper dam.don't remember the colored water vtil I visited in the late 50's early 60's.
Alice Russell Belgad User ID: 9544623	Jan 1st 10:04 PM My sister Arlene is presently fighting cancer.Harold Jr and Irving Also Bertha have died from cancer but whle we lived near the mill we got drinking water from Reba Tuttle A Great Neighbor and friend.We did have hand pump by sink that brought in water from Corrundal Lake Thatwas when it was clean and also just below the upper dam.don't remember the colored water vtil I visited in the late 50's early 60's.