Letter to the Journal Re: Poor Health in County

Mason County does not need Adage or Solomon

Submitted to Shelton Blog by Connie Simpson Mason County Progressive

Feb. 14, 2011

To the Editor Shelton-Mason County Journal:

I am glad to see the Mason County Health Dept. has written a report addressing the poor health of our county. As the fears about further assaults to the health of Mason County citizens has been in the newspaper in the form of letters and articles, including a petition signed by our medical community to the county’s commissioners, it’s about time we heard from those we pay to be concerned about our health.

As reported by this paper; don’t you think it a little disingenuous that not one word was mentioned about the ill effects to the human heart and lungs from the smoke stacks (emissions) in our down town, or did the paper leave that out? Not mentioning the air pollution that already exists here puts a question mark on the validity of the report. Why not address the elephant in the room? Was the Health Dept. advised against including air pollution from the diesel trucks that supply the smoke stacks, and our waterfront industry, in their report?

I can give you many scientific medical reports from urban areas adjacent to industrial sites that have confirmed just how dangerous it is to live with the products of combustion. Breathing the tiny particles and noxious chemicals that come from combustion cause heart attacks, strokes, asthma, chronic breathing problems such as COPD, and, they contribute to diabetes. Kids who grow up in neighborhoods with industrial air pollution never have perfectly functioning lungs.

These are facts. Why wouldn’t our Health Dept. include anything but wood stoves and smoking in their assessment of lung issues? As a person with asthma, I cannot avoid the pollution from Simpson and Olympic Panel. I can avoid smoking and smokers. And, I am fortunate to rarely need our wood stove. If it’s an air inversion day, I stay in or go to Olympia.

The County Commissioners and Port Commissioners say they are supporting the economic health of the County. I can tell you that the older I get, the more my lungs bother me, the more I go to Olympia to shop to avoid asthma attacks. I’m not the only one. If we build the biomass burners and add to the air pollution here, our politicians will be forcing us to take our money out of local businesses to grocery stores, book stores, jewelers, hardware stores, restaurants and antique stores in Olympia, Union, Belfair and other nearby cities. I don’t like it. I don’t like burning the gas.

When a person dies of COPD, stroke, heart attack, or asthma, their death certificate doesn’t mention how far from the mills they lived, or worked, for how many years… maybe it should. And remember, folks, we are not all created alike; my genetic code may give me lung cancer from whatever source, and not you. My grandfather smoked a pipe all his life and died of liver cancer—who knows if there’s a connection. He also worked at Long Bell for 25 years. My best hope is to keep the odds in my favor and avoid lung irritants as much as possible.

Personally, I think the recent report to the City Commission regarding the poor health of Mason County citizens is, at best, superficial, at worst, a white wash. Get real, Dr. Yu, Ms. Kirkpatrick, the tons of noxious chemicals and particulate material in the air of downtown Shelton do not have no effect on our health. It’s not as easily quantified as obesity or teen pregnancy, but that’s your job.

Get Mason County into an air pollution study with monitors in the downtown and people going door to door asking questions about health. That would be a valid report I’d like to read, not a lot of half truths, fun with statistics and conjecture ending with throwing up your hands saying “nothing can be done because these poor fools eat too much, smoke too much, and are too poor to avoid bad health.” Is their conclusion to bring on the twenty-four jobs—at least you’ll help twenty-four people, (and, maybe injure thousands)? Not good enough. Mason County does not need Adage or Solomon. We need imagination, leadership, and courage.

Sincerely,

Constance Simpson RN
Shelton

P.S. Commissioner Erickson—what the heck? Less public notice would be antidemocratic, or don’t you care any more?