Other Toxic Crap

Sorry to be extremely late with this news. Betty Kester, wife of Lester Kester, who passed away earlier this year, passed away September 9th. Betty and her husband were extremely rare, as the both of them suffered from Polycythemia Vera. It is very rare for two people in the same house to both have the disease. Betty will be missed by many. My heart goes out to all of the PV patients, wish they could find a cure.

Polycythemia vera patient from Hometown area dies

He survived the D-Day landing at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge only to spend the last years of his life debilitated by polycythemia vera -- a disease likely caused by his heavily polluted environment.
Lester Barney Kester, a resident of the Ben Titus Road community north of Hometown, passed away at his home three days ago, according to his published obituary. He was 84. Among Kester's survivors is his wife, Betty, who also suffers from the rare blood malignancy.
The fact that two genetically unrelated people in one household were both diagnosed with the disease helped draw attention to what appeared to be the area's unusually high rate of PV -- an appearance that has since been confirmed as fact. Unfortunately, public health officials and political leaders have so far failed to take any action to address the problem, which independent scientists say appears to be environmental in origin. The Kesters live just downhill from the McAdoo Associates Superfund site, a former chemical dumping ground for some of America's biggest corporations; the Northeastern Power Co. waste-coal-burning power plant; and an enormous coal combustion waste dump dubbed "the Big Gorilla."
Mrs. Kester recently told the Philadelphia Inquirer that doctors "flipped out" when her husband was diagnosed with the disease two years after her, so astounded were they to see two cases in one family. She admitted to feeling bitter over having their retirement years ruined by the disease but observed that at least they were up in years when diagnosed:

I'm thinking of the children," she said. "We're old, we're ready to die. But the children that are coming up -- I'd like something done for them, if possible."

Courtesy of Sue Sturgis' Hometown Hazards

Press Conference

A group of concerned citizens, media, and members of various environmental agencies met today, Tues 18th, at a cemetery overlooking the Schuykill energy power plant and the toxic Ellengowan mining site to release reports concerning the contamination of groundwater by coal fly ash. Speakers were Jeff Stant from Clean Air Task Force, Lisa Evans, an attorney from Earthjustice, Dante Picciano, an attorney, scientist, and founder of Army For A Clean Environment, Robert Gadiniski, Geologist, PADEP (retired), Robert Krick, Vice President Mahoney Creek Watershed, and Brian Whitman, Professor of Environmental Engineering, Wilkes University.

The group presented facts and photographs showing the effects of fly ash on the environment. One of the points that was brought up is where there is fly ash, the temperature of the ground water in that vicinity has severely increased, indicating a chemical reaction with the water. It is hoped this press conference will push the EPA into stricter rules concerning the placement of fly ash.


Evans, Whitman, and Piccione	Robert Gadinski	Lisa Evans


Robert Krick	Jeff Stant showing "Big Gorilla"	Citizens and Media


Ellengowan Mining Site	Schuylkill Energy