O2OVINCIAL LIBRARY In ‘fact, one group tested for lung function showed a higher rate of abnormality than that found in a coal miners suffering from Black Lung disease. Results. were released Monday to members of the Canadian association of Smelter and Allied workers Union,local 1, in @ report on the health of Alcan workers in Kitimat prepared by phusicians Bertram W. Carnow and Shirley A. Conibear of the University of Mlinois and sshowed dome lung disfunction with twice as many affected in the pigh-risk group as in the ow. “Results show a ositive relationship etween exposure to irritants and lung ab- normalities,’ Carnow said. . Workers showing lugn abnormalities on the first test were also tested for lung diffusion function — the ability to pass oxygen from air sacks in the lung tests. “TI have not seen as high a rate of diffusion disability in miners with Black Lung disease.’ Carnow said. “‘All tests showed a high relationship between abnormality of lung function and exposure to irritants. We should not find this in health workers,” Carnow said. He said results of bone tests suggested that the medical term flourosis to describe bone disease from exposure to flouride Short but noisy council meeting by Donna Vallleres Herald Staff Writer Tax exemptions set off another hot debate at a special meeting of acemuricipal council Monday night sparking off exchanges of ‘insults and charges of pre-election propaganda. The meet was a record 10 minutes long and broke up after disagreements about adjournement procedures. One of the three items on the agenda to be discussed was a proposed meeting wi the recreation advisory commission which was tabled for next year's council fo decide. The second item was the tax exemption bylaw voted on. have another meeting,” Giesbrecht said. es to determine - which - © groupe are acce ted by doo” : nites counc recelve taX Giesbrecht stressed his © «Wie Jolliffe exemptions for 1a ein motion for adjournment Mumford agreed the meee Stwe y 7 & was not calculatedin any meeting was “really a conn : or ve Curling way tohold up adoption of disgusting scene.” are the Terrace & the bylaw, but was — “It makes it bad for me Club, Calvin Christian The bylaw must be passed by Nov. 23. Ald. Helmut Giesbrecht raised. a point of order ompted instead by the as ah outgoing alder- at the polls Saturday. Mumford stated the shambles of the meetings was caused by an ‘‘at- Carnow said. He said the rate of surgery for bake and neck problems sh- woed that workers in the high risk catefory for bone disease have seven times as much surgery as the low risk group. Carnow said that the highest numbe rof bone operations were found in workers exposed to flouride. ‘‘It is the. strongest kind of statistical §association,”’ said. “The disease will progress in- workers He said that because ten per cent of 446 workers tested showed abnormal gas transfer, all workers whould be tested and that “in view of the large number of workers with ab- normalities, employees: should be evaluated again in therr years.” Union president Wiho Papenbrock said the t union will give the company “a reasonable Gime” to clean up the smelter and Workers VICTORIA B C Kitimat study shows workers endangered field co-ordinator of the study said that if there was no response on the part of the company, workers should refuse to work in hazardous aeas and the union might lay criminal charges against the company. We havae no qualms about doing what the company did to us,” Brisebois said. He said that the report, commissioned by the union in 1976, cost $187,000. A copy of the report was made They had no op- portunity to read the report wheijh was released to management only 20 minutes before the conference. Rich said the report will be sent to several epidemiologists for evaluation. He said the company was supportive of the study and had wanted to be involved from the beginning. He said the union refused to consider a joint by Anne Dunsmuir Cook County Hospital in through the walls of the should be broadened to adversely affected unelss Compensationclaims will available to Alcan report. "We are in the Herald Staff Writer Chicago. blood vessels tored blood include lippong of the changes are madein the be made for 200 affected management at the end dark about the study and \ Occupational health Dr. Carnow tested 1,243 cells. __ Spine and swollen joints. working environment.” workers. of the meeting. it will take a couple of specialists have found workers classified by the | Once again, workers in At present only Carnow said that “The union will weks to get expert at Alean workers have union into low, medium, high exposure areas thickening ofthe bonesis ‘‘given this study's fin- demand that the WCB piven works manager opinions,” Rich said. a significantly higher medium-high and high showed a rate of considered proof of dings, levels of irritant recognize a large group Bill Rich and the com. rate of lung and musculo- risk categoriesdepending disfunction twice as high _flourosis. gasses and particulants of *Gisenses affectin partied s chief medical te said that such . skeletal disease when on their working en- as low exposure workers. “The study suggests must be reduced and smelter workers,’’ “lcer Eric Gunn held a scientific studies are their job involves ex- vironment. . Eighteen workers were that what medicien calls workers must be PENBROCK SAID. ress conference evaluated by peer posure to chemical He found that 23 per found to have serious flourosis is only one protected by respiratory Union member Jim ‘lowing the union groups, irritants, cent of the worker- affects according to the aspect of the diisease,” devices.” Brisebois who acted as ™eetng. Rich said the company met levels set by law for poliution within the plant and the emmision norms for the external en- vironment. ‘‘Norms are established in both cases and we are meeting them,” Rich said. Gunn said the company had been operating since the turn of the century and never had a case of industria] flourisis. *‘I would like to look clasely alt criteria used for diagnosis,” he said. a TERRACE ~~, dai VOLUME 71 NO. 141 fh “a 20¢ * WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1977 after Ald. Dove Mum- ford, ho. chaired the mosphere of Ald. : mee in place o : a bacationing Mayor Dave The defeated alderman ‘ oe Marone;y, “‘exchanged charged that Jolliffe had al a . + + insults ‘with Ald “Hie telephoned a person +