Posted on 05/07/2003 8:29:30 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
The media-personal injury trial lawyer alliance. NBC's Today on Monday trumpeted the latest legal action brought by the law firm which employs notorious agitator Erin Brockovich, whom NBC identified with the very respectable description of "environmental researcher On the May 5 Today, MRC analyst Geoffrey Dickens observed, Katie Couric hyped how some alumni of Beverly Hills High School in California, which has oil wells on campus, "say toxic fumes from the wells have given them cancer."
Relaying the claims of "environmental researcher" Brockovich, Couric treated her as simply a concerned woman: "Erin says what troubles her the most is the increasing number of cancers that have been reported to her law firm. So far 321 graduates over a 22-year period say they have cancer."
What percent of the alumni that represents, whether that is an unusually high cancer rate and whether there is any real evidence in any case of a link to the oil well, Couric did not pres Brockovich to explain. Couric did, however, allow as to how Brockovich's case may not be that solid: "Dr. Wendy Cozun has studied the cancer patterns of people living in the Beverly Hills area and found no increase in cancers except for one type of thyroid cancer. She says there is no link between the oil wells" and cancer.
So then why run a story promoting a baseless, fearmongering lawsuit?
Couric didn't pursue that angle or confront Brockovich. Instead, she proceeded to explain how out of fear one parent has pulled his son off the baseball team.
Couric set up the taped segment: "California is the third- largest oil-producing state in the nation and in fact the elite Beverly Hills High School sits on an active oil well. Well now the school is in the center of a controversy. Environmental activist Erin Brockovich alleges the well has caused a cancer cluster. But government experts and the company running the well say it doesn't cause cancer or pollution. Today the law firm made famous by Brockovich is filing a 177 new claims against the city and school district of Beverly Hills adding to the 25 filed last week. They allege former students of Beverly Hills High got cancer from toxic air created by the well. "Amidst the glitz and glamour Beverly Hills High School has been the site of active oil production since the early 1980s. It's 19 wells have provided the city and school district with millions of dollars over the years but now some of its alumni say toxic fumes from the wells have given them cancer. Laurie Moss is one of 202 former students who have filed claims against the city of Beverly Hills and its high school."
The rest of the piece, sans the soundbites:
Couric: "Lori Moss, a 1992 graduate of Beverly Hills High School was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease when she was 21." [Moss]
Couric: "Lori who underwent chemotherapy has been in remission for six years but just over a year ago, at 27, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer." [Moss]
Couric: "Lori's thyroid was removed and radiation treatments followed. She thought she was plain unlucky until she met Erin Brockovich at a book signing." [Moss] [Erin Brockovich, identified on screen as an "environmental researcher"]
Couric: "As a result Erin decided to start snooping. She saw an article in an oil industry magazine describing how oil production was masked by the glamour of Beverly Hills. The 16- story tower oil rig at the school was painted with flowers by terminally-ill children and dubbed the Tower of Hope."
[Brockovich] Couric: "After acquiring a 1984 environmental impact report that said the oil well at Beverly Hills High might expose people to potential health hazards Erin went to her boss, Ed Masry." [Ed Masry]
Couric: "Last November Erin decided to test the air quality at the school." [Brockovich]
Couric: "The government agency that monitors air quality in Southern California, the South Coast Air Quality Management District or AQMD, went out to the site in February to do its own tests. Venoco, the company that owns the oil well says they were venting natural gas into the air at the time. AQMD said that was not permitted under their permit and asked them to temporarily shut down production but the air quality was found to be normal." [Barry Wallerstein, AQMD]
Couric: "But Erin says what troubles her the most is the increasing number of cancers that have been reported to her law firm. So far 321 graduates over a 22-year period say they have cancer. 53 with Hodgkin's disease, 45 with non-Hodgkin's and 55 with thyroid cancer." [Brockovich]
Couric: "Erin and Ed called a meeting in March." [Brockovich]
Couric: "Ed Masry says along with the school district he plans to sue Venoco and the former owners 25 abandoned wells, four of which are under the athletic field....Gwen Gross, the superintendent of the school district says she's doing everything necessary to respond to concerns." [Gwen Gross]
Couric: "Since February the AQMD has continued to monitor the air quality at the school." [Wallerstein]
Couric: "The oil company says the well is not causing air pollution." [Mike Edwards, Venoco]
Couric: "Dr. Wendy Cozun has studied the cancer patterns of people living in the Beverly Hills area and found no increase in cancers except for one type of thyroid cancer. She says there is no link between the oil well and says high rates of the disease are not surprising at the high school."
[Dr. Wendy Cozen pointed out that because of good health care as kids in the wealthy community a higher percent are vulnerable as adults]
[Dean Vlahos, parent] Couric: "Dean Vlahos has decided to take his son, Chris, off the Beverly Hills High School baseball team. Chris now plays on a nearby field." [Dean Vlahos] [Chris Vlahos]
Couric: "Lori Moss, one of the claimants says she understands." [Moss]
Couric concluded: "Today the oil well at Beverly Hills High School is temporarily shut down because a piece of equipment was found to be emitting benzene beyond amounts allowed by air quality recommendations. Venoco says it has made the modifications and is awaiting approval to being operations again."
If oil wells cause cancer how do people in Oklahoma and Texas manage to survive?
Good Question!
Ed Masry, former Attorney to notorious Televangelist Dr. Gene Scott thoroughout the 1980's, and himself a felon (1981 conviction in San Diego County, for taking $10,000. from 'Morningside' religious cult of Escondido to bribe Lieutenant Governor Dymally of California in the late 1970's).
Erin Brockovich -- Masry met her at brothel in Nevada, where she was a 'working girl' (hence, the sex references were inside jokes in the film). See, she's really a 'people person'!!
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