Ulcerative Colitis

My liver functions were so high the doctors say it looks as if I was exposed to a lot of pesticides at some point." OSHA is collecting data on illnesses such as Piearcy's from every government agency, including the Corps of Engineers, said Dean Wingo, OSHA spokesperson.

"People who get sick should report it back to who they were working for at the time.

Those companies should report it to the Corps or whatever agency contracted them.

We're collecting the injury and illness data.

It's all being compiled." Whatever the tracking systems, experts agreed that the risk would be lower in the first place if volunteers, disaster recovery workers and residents received better pre-disaster training.

The Corps of Engineers requires safety briefings for all its employees, but contractors and sub-contractors are responsible for their own safety briefings and requirements, explained Doug Garman, a Corps of Engineers spokesperson.

The Corps of Engineers does not monitor air quality or ground contamination, said Garman.

"That's up to the environmental departments." In December, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that flooded areas were generally safe to return to.

State and federal officials have not said there is no danger whatsoever, but said the threat appears consistent with toxic risks typical of many urban areas.

Meanwhile, Garman joined Boe and Coppola in a call for some kind of national tracking of illnesses t...

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