First let's read from OSHA's mission statement. OSHA??, you query, for you thought you were here for the ATSDR Report on MCS. Well you are, but first I'd like to take you through the writings of OSHA ... at least as they appeared when this was first put up in 1998.

Over 100 Million Workers Count On OSHA

The mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to save lives, prevent injuries and protect the health of America's workers. To accomplish this, federal and state governments must work in partnership with the more than 100 million working men and women and their six and a half million employers who are covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
http://www.osha.gov/oshinfo/mission.html (This will open a new page, just close it to get back to EHN's page.)

Next, take a moment to write to OSHA -http://www.osha-slc.gov/html/suggestion2.html. They obviously have not done their homework from a public health and well being aspect. They have done an excellent job of protecting industry. OSHA should hear from you ... the REAL experts, mustering all the credible documentation you can. And copy your comments to the political candidtates, while you are at it, as well as the sitting politicians. -- barb

MCS Report, Predecision Draft
This is the final release ... the draft! -- barb
http://web.health.gov/environment/mcs/index.htm

• View the report
  http://web.health.gov/environment/mcs/toc.htm

• Summary of Comments in html
  http://web.health.gov/environment/mcs/comments/toc.htm

Rebuttals and responses of various MCS experts and organizations to the MCS Report:

NOTE: Of 392 comments received, including form letters:

• 14 were not supportive of the report and recommends no final report be written;
  
• 268 were not supportive of the report and recommends substantive changes in report;
  
• 98 were supportive of report but with editorial changes; and
  
• 12 were supportive of the report as written.

• EHN, Amy Marsh, President (5/98 - 5/00)
  http://www.ehnca.org/www/ehnhompg/atsdrlet.htm
  
  
  • Letters sent to EHN for posting
    An EHN Member, Betty Kreeger, Barb Wilkie
    http://www.ehnca.org/www/atsdr/atsdrle2.htm
  
  
  
• Steve Chalmers
  http://members.aol.com/enviroknow/ATSDR/steve.htm

• Albert Donnay - MCS Referral & Resources
  http://www.mcsrr.org/pressreleases/prmcs98.html
  
  
  "MCS Referral Resources first learned about and complained to the Workgroup about Dr. Mitchell's ESRI affiliation in July 1996, after which his contract was not renewed. Despite a formal request that Mitchell's ESRI affiliation and key role as the report's primary author be disclosed, the Workgroup denies any conflict of interest and still lists him only as a 'consultant.' Dr. Mitchell was not hired as a consultant, however. He had recently retired as Chief Medical Officer of the Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry (ATSDR) and his old boss, Workgroup co-chair Dr. Barry Johnson, arranged for him to be rehired through a Postgraduate Research Program normally reserved for 'academic' scientists.

  "The letter awarding Dr. Mitchell this appointment specifically states that any work to which he contributes should carry an acknowledgement that 'This research was supported in part by an appointment to the Postgraduate Research Program at the ATSDR administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education through an interagency agreement between the US Department of Energy and the ATSDR' -- but the Workgroup's Draft Report fails to mention any of this.

  " 'No one should be lulled into a false sense of complacency by this report's extremely narrow and misleading view of MCS,' said Donnay. 'In commenting on this draft, Congress and the American public need to be aware of the many government policies and research findings on MCS that, like Mitchell's ESRI and ATSDR affiliations, are not disclosed.' "

  Source: http://hometown.aol.com/ECHOMCSCT/index18.html

• ECHO Ecological Health Organization
  http://members.aol.com/enviroknow/ATSDR/echo.htm

• Enviroknow
  (Earth Angels Association/Health & Environment Resource Center) http://members.aol.com/enviroknow/ATSDR/main.html
  
  
• Environmental Health Policy Committee
  "A Report on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), Predecisional Draft for Public Comment prepared by the Interagency Workgroup on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Read the responses . . ."
  http://members.aol.com/chemxpose/atsdr.html
  
  
• Richard Fox
  http://members.aol.com/enviroknow/ATSDR/rich.htm

• Health & Environment Resource Center (for a list of links to reply letters)
  http://members.aol.com/enviroknow/ATSDR/main.html
  
  
• Constance Archambault Holbrook, M.D.
  A must read for all MCS disbelievers! -- barb
  http://members.aol.com/enviroknow/ATSDR/conarch.htm
  
  
• Human Ecology Action League, Inc (HEAL)
  Comment on A Report on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
  [Predecisional Draft August 24, 1998].
  http://www.pronetisp.net/~jkosta/brdcom.html

• Anne Jackson - EHA
  (Environmental Health Association, LA area)
  http://members.aol.com/enviroknow/ATSDR/EHA.htm
  
  
• Massachusetts Association for the Chemically Injured, Inc.
  http://members.aol.com/enviroknow/ATSDR/maci.htm

• Bonnye Matthews
  http://members.aol.com/enviroknow/ATSDR/bonnye.htm

• Ann McCampbell, MD, Chair, MCS Task Force of NM
  http://www.mcsrr.org/fedmcscommentsam.html
  
  
• Don Paladin
  http://members.aol.com/enviroknow/ATSDR/don.htm

• Toni Temple, Ohio Network for the Chemically Injured
  http://www.lassentech.com/eionfci1.html
  
  
• Sharon Wachsler, MCS Researcher
  http://www.mcsrr.org/fedmcscommentssw.html
  
  
• Irene Ruth Wilkenfeld - SAFE SCHOOLS
  http://members.aol.com/enviroknow/ATSDR/irene.htm

Had been at page top, while still timely --

The Interagency Workgroup on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)

Also known as The MCS Report.
Comment deadline was extended until Dec. 15, 1998.

Please read and send them your comments! Remember, do not send any truly personal information as comments may be made public.

If this has just come to your attention, past the deadline, try using their forms for sending your comments anyway. ("Nothing ventured, nothing gained.")

imho, They had five years to work on this draft which does little to shed light on MCS -- except to carry forth the wisdom of the chemical and mainstream western medical industries, which is all old hat to us anyway.

Don't worry about responding line for line. The experts did that. Let them know how it is to live with MCS . . . how it will affect the economy as more and more become ill. Tell them how it is. -- barb

Comment deadline was: Dec. 15, 1998

Written comments relating to the report were to be mailed to:

ATSDR's Information Center
1600 Clifton Road, Mail Stop E57
Atlanta, GA 30333

attention Alice Knox

Unfortunately, the Workgroup did not see its way clear to extend the deadline until Jan. 15, 1999, which would have better enabled students of all ages to respond. A six months extension would better serve the MCS community, but thus far the Workgroup doesn't seem to want to go beyond their extension of Dec. 15, 1998.

Please read the MCS report and send in your comments! Remember, do not send any medical or truly personal information as comments may be made public.

If you'd like to view some suggestions for responding to ATSDR, please see How do I respond? (http://www.ehnca.org/www/ehnhompg/atsdrtip.htm).

Comments? (Barb's email is no longer valid, please contact EHN). Please put WWW in subject line. Thanks.