NATION AND WORLD Lawyers say women's work caused cancer
University Daily Kansan, April 2, 1984
Page 9
Radium cleanup at Illinois plant begins
Ry United Press International
OTTAWA, Ill. — They were members of the "Society of the Living Dead," small-town women who painted glow in-the-dark dials on clocks, then suffered cancers that lawyers are trying to link to the chemicals they used to make their living.
Officials say about 40 of "the girls," as they are called by most everyone in town, died from tumors and cancers in a 50 year span.
Pearl Schott, former employee
Now the society's final vestiges are beginning to crumble.
The first phase of a $2 million state-financed cleanup began last week at the downtown Luminous Processes Inc. plant, closed by the government in 1978 because of excessive levels of radiation.
Workers hauled out more than 50 drums and containers of contaminated rubble from the one-half square-block, beige brick building with the ominous invitation to "Dial Illinois for Death" painted in funnelal black on its farcade
The containers will be hauled to a dump site in Hanford, Wash.
THE TOWN OF 20,000 people, about 80 miles west of Chicago at the confluence of the Illinois and Fox rivers, takes pride in the quality of life
'We were often told to be careful with the material because it was very expensive but never to be careful because it was very dangerous,'
- friendly people, a thriving economy and not much crime, with only one homicide in the past five years.
But civic leaders complain they have suffered unfairly from the publicity.
"I'm very grateful," James Thomas, mayor for 17 years, said of the cleanup. "I hate to have someone look at this as a camera, but I see how the light at the end of the tunnel."
romans said the women died because of radium poisoning from exposure at the plant, or more likely at its forerunner — the Radium Dial Co. — that was located about four blocks away
Douglas F. Stevenson, an attorney representing the defunct company, said he could not comment on the case because the statute of limitations on damages arising from possible radium poisoning is 20 years. He old cases may be reflated and new cases filed until that limit runs out.
THE COMPANY WAS KNOWNas
Radium Dial when it was in an old
school building between 1920 and 1937. The women there were instructed to dip fine-tipped paint brushes in water, twist the brushes between their lips to make a point, and dip them into a luminous radium powder.
NUMEROUS LAWSUITS have been filed by former workers. Twelve women suffering from a variety of alleged work-related illnesses filed workmen's compensation cases, which their attorney voluntarily dismissed to leave the door open for problems that may show up later.
Pearl Schott, 66, who worked at Luminous Processes for 32 years until 1977, recalls the stifling summer days when fans wansed the radium-filled dust through the plant. Others remember the girls dressed in their dusty smocks eating lunch in downtown cafes.
cates.
"We were often told to be careful with the material because it was very expensive, but never to be careful
Schott, who contracted breast cancer in 1964 and has had reproductive organs removed, earned about 40 cents an hour when she started work at the company.
because it was very dangerous," said Schott.
Luminous Processes was warned several times to clean up the radiation. It was fined $3,200 in 1977 and closed the following year.
"I don't think the company went as far as it should have to advise the women of the potential of the danger," said Peter Ferracu, a lawyer representing the women. "Based on what they (the women) told me, all company officials did is assure them that the situation was in hand."
IN ATTEMPTS TO PROVE cause and effect, Ferracuti monitored a survey of 100 former employees of Luminous Processes and Radium Dials who are now dead. Death certificates,ocate more than half of them had cancer.
the national average is something like 13 percent to 16 percent. he said.
like 13 percent to 16 percent," he said. Ferraciut he decided to put off the women's lawsuits despite having conditions "right now."
"Many conditions do not demonstrate themselves for many many years. I felt it was in our better judgment to wait," he said.
NATO talks to begin; Weinberger to attend
By United Press International
CESME, Turkey — Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger arrived yesterday for NATO's first ministerial level meeting on nuclear planning since the alliance began distributing cruise and Pershing 2 missiles in Europe, and the Soviets broke off disarmament talks.
Weinberger was among the first defense ministers to arrive for the meeting, which is set for tomorrow and Wednesday in this Aegean city. He flew in from Athens where he spent days of talks with Greek officials.
Security for the arriving defense ministers was tight at the former U.S. Air Force base in Izmir from entering media news media from entering the facility
Security also was very heavy at the Golden Dolfin Hotel in Cesme where the ministers will be meeting.
With the Soviets not expected to resume arms talks before the end of the year, a diplomat said that the 35th ministerial meeting probably will not result in any new courses of action.
Instead, the defense ministers are expected to reaffirm NATO's commitment to distribute cruise and Pershing 2 missiles in Europe to counter Moscow's SS-20 missiles aimed at Western Europe.
NATO agreed in 1979 to position 464 cruise and 108 Pershing 2 missiles in Europe by the end of the decade.
The first of the cruise missiles have become operational in Britain and Italy and the first Pershing 2's have gone on line in West Germany. Belgium and the Netherlands also are to receive nuclear weapons.
However, the Dutch are divided by a debate that makes future distribution of missiles uncertain. During a visit to the Hague last Thursday, Weimberger appealed for Holland to accept the missiles.
Diplomats said that a major topic would be the future of the nuclear planning group's high-level assistance. Mr. Obama has advised NATO defense ministers.
The advisers completed and presented their report in Canada last October but some NATO diplomats have also the group to be given new instruction.
POW/MIA VIETNAM MEMORIAL AWARENESS WEEK
MON., APRIL 2 7 p.m. AIR FORCE FILM on the POWs who did return home and personal slides of veterans depicting their Vietnam experience.
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WED., APRIL 4 1 p.m. KAY BOSILVAC, wife of a current POW and member of &7 p.m. the Board of Directors of the National League of Families of American Prisoners & Missing in Southeast Asia will speak.
THUR., APRIL 5 7 p.m. LT. GENERAL JOHN P. FLYNN (RET), POW for $ 5 \frac{1}{2} $ years and ranking Air Force prisoner in Vietnam will speak.
FRI., APRIL 6 7 p.m. SLIDES OF THE VIETNAM EXPERIENCE will be reshown
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