Town Hall Event to Reveal New Information about Mayflower Oil Spill Featuring Dr. William Mason of ADH & Retired Louisiana Senator and ENT Doctor, Michael Robichaux MAYFLOWER, ARKANSAS. September 13, 2013 – Mayflower residents and Faulkner County Citizens Advisory Group (FCCAG), whose mission is to promote community health and all-hazard preparedness, are hosting a sixth Town Hall event to discuss the on-going oil disaster in Mayflower. The landmark event is sponsored by the Hendrix College Biological Society and the Environmental Concerns Committee and will take place on campus at Reeves Recital Hall on Thursday, September 26 from 1-7 p.m. Building upon previous Town Hall meetings, the goal of the event is to facilitate networking between community members and decision makers and to educate these stakeholders on the ongoing concerns following a major toxic release. This special event will reveal a breadth of new information and provide a forum for important discussions on health issues related to the Pegasus Pipeline rupture and spill. FCCAG Board Members will lead off the event with a summary of the previous town hall meetings, a summary of environmental quality data collected by FCCAG and state and federal officials, and a presentation on Faulkner County health data with a separate focus on the value of a community health assessment. Following these presentations will be a 60-minute Q&A and discussion session with Dr. William Mason, Preparedness and Emergency Response Branch Chief at the Arkansas Department of Health. Dr. Mason is ADH’s lead person for the Mayflower response. Residents of Mayflower and any others around Mayflower or Exxon’s offsite waste storage facility in Eastern Faulkner County subsequent to the pipeline rupture are highly encouraged to attend and share their health experiences with Dr. Mason. This will be the first opportunity for citizens to directly engage in public discussion with the doctor. Dr. Mason is followed by David Lincoln, an environmental consultant and geologist representing Sierra Club. Mr. Lincoln will walk attendees through a graphic timeline of the pipeline rupture and provide recommendations for future efforts to limit impacts to the environment and human health after a similar toxic release. Next on the agenda is Dr. Michael Robichaux, an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist whom treated approximately 200 patients after the DeepWater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. “Dr. Mike,” as his patients call him, will present information about health effects of chemical exposure and treatment options. Dr. Mike, who served as State Senator in Louisiana’s 20th Senate District, has a long list of accolades including a National Guard commendation for volunteer work, the Louisiana Wildlife Federation’s Governor’s Award, and “Legislator of the Year” from the Louisiana Physical Therapist’s Association. Dr. Mike is also recognized by the Louisiana Association of Educators, the Louisiana Mental Health Alliance, and the Association of Clinical Social Workers for his efforts on behalf of the mentally ill. Mother of four and Mayflower resident, Genieve Long, follows with the results of a Rapid Community Health Assessment of 53 residences that was completed on August 28 by Mrs. Long and Emily Harris, FCCAG Board Member who managed the Arkansas Assessment Initiative, a CDC/ADH cooperative agreement to improve community health assessment from 2008-2012. The results of this pilot test identify the necessity of an organized effort to officially document the cumulative health effects from the pipeline rupture as well as provide data to assist planning for future disaster response efforts. UALR student Alyssa Martinez, who is majoring in Environmental Geology, will also provide information on oil dispersant products utilized in oil spill cleanup and remediation efforts, explaining how and why they work. This presentation paves the way for Glynn Barber, Vice President of Agricultural Research & Development for Fog Free Technologies (FFT) which is distributed by LTE Global. FFT is a 100% organic clean-up technology and holds the distinction as the only product that is approved by the EPA for release directly into open bodies of water. Wrapping up the event will be Dr. Matthew Moran, Chair of the Biology Department at Hendrix College. Dr. Moran will provide insights from his perspective and facilitate the final question and answer session. He will also lead a discussion on how Hendrix students may become actively involved in local efforts to promote community health and environmental protection. The event is open to the public. *** Emily Lane – FCCAG Board of Directors Emily.Dreamtime@gmail
Posted on: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 13:39:53 +0000
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