MINUTES OF THE meeting

of the

ASSEMBLY JOINT Subcommittee on Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Mining AND HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 

Seventy-First Session

March 8, 2001

 

 

The Joint Subcommittee on Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Miningand Healthand Human Serviceswas called to order at 2:00 p.m., on Thursday, March 8, 2001.  Chairman Marcia de Braga presided in Room 3161 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada.  Exhibit A is the Agenda.  Exhibit B is the Guest List.  All exhibits are available and on file at the Research Library of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.

 

 

SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Mrs.  Marcia de Braga, Chairman, Natural Resources

Mr.    John Carpenter, Natural Resources

Mr.    Harry Mortenson, Natural Resources

Mr.    Roy Neighbors, Natural Resources

Ms. Sharron Angle, Health and Human Services

Ms. Sheila Leslie, Health and Human Services

Mrs. Ellen Koivisto, Chairman, Health and Human Services

 

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Linda Eissmann, Committee Policy Analyst

Marla McDade Williams, Committee Policy Analyst

June Rigsby, Committee Secretary

 

OTHERS PRESENT:

 

V. Dean Adams, University of Nevada Reno

 

 

Chairwoman de Braga began the joint meeting with the introduction of Dean Adams of the University of Nevada Reno (UNR) who was accompanied by Jeff Curtis.  Mr. Adams had previously sent a letter to Chairwoman de Braga (Exhibit C), and came today to present Mutagen Screening of Environmental Samples in the Fallon Area (Exhibit D).  A mutagen induced a change in cellular genetic material, a mutation.  Numerous studies of human cancer found that a mutagenic event very likely initiated some types of cancer.  Many studies proved a high correlation between mutagens and cancer.   Not all mutagenic substances were carcinogenic and, vice versa, not all carcinogens were mutagens, e.g., asbestos. 

 

The Ames test utilized specialized strains of Salmonella typhimurium to determine if a mutagen was present in a sample.  The test had been employed worldwide on complex environmental samples as well as compounds and chemicals.  The drug and pesticide industries used it extensively to screen for mutagenic activities. 

 

Mr. Adams proposed an approach that applied the Ames test to a variety of air, water and residue samples collected in the Fallon area, with the intent of delineating any areas or sources of increased mutagenic activity.  Samples would be taken from wells, lakes, streams, ponds, indoor/outdoor air, dusts, soils, and sediments.  The project would run from 18 to 24 months.  If a high level of mutagenic activity was found, that would require further in-depth analysis.

 

Chairwoman de Braga inquired why the testing would take so long, to which Mr. Adams answered if nothing was found, it would not require that much time.  Mr. Mortenson asked how rigid the testing of the areas was.  For instance, once set up to test certain areas, would events such as a windstorm or aerial spraying move the testing to or from the area?  He felt also that the testing needed to locate something that had not occurred for 10 to 50 years.  Mr. Adams replied, especially in the ground water samples where there was little movement, the probability of finding mutagenic activity from something that happened those years ago is likely.  Surface water was more difficult as it flowed rapidly downstream.  Open-air samples would be sought during those spraying days.  Indoor air quality responses might have come from building materials used in construction of the facilities years before.  Mr. Mortenson asked if samples would be taken from the homes of the leukemia victims.  He received an affirmative reply from Mr. Adams, who went on to state he wanted to look at the well history, the age of the home, and the type of building materials. 

 

Assemblywoman Leslie wished to know if there were any definite figures for a budget to do this study.  Mr. Adams did not know but made a guess at $200,000.  If the committee was interested in pursuing this, he would develop a budget.  Ms. Leslie affirmed that she was interested.  She felt the university definitely had a role to play and expected to see students involved. 

 

Chairwoman de Braga allowed that the Health Division was very interested in using this process.  Mr. Adams said that it was an excellent screening tool that they had used before.  Researchers had correlated the mutagenic activity with chlorinated organics; for instance, surface water not treated properly but chlorinated to form chloro-organic compounds, correlated with mutagenic activity. 

 

Ms. de Braga wished to pursue the Ames testing in the draft recommendations.

 

Next, the committee reviewed the draft Leukemia Recommendations (Exhibit E).  In Section 2 (c), Ms. de Braga requested the inclusion of “or other cancer cases” after the word leukemia.  She also requested that a mention to educating the public about water quality should be added to Section 3 (f)(iii). 

 

During a short break, Assemblywoman Angle spoke informally about a concerned Fallon resident who wished to know when aerial spraying would be done.  Perhaps the city’s noon whistle could sound as notification when spraying began. 

 

After the break, Chairwoman de Braga continued reviewing the draft recommendation at Section 3 (f)(iv).  At the phrase “jet fuel dumping” she said, whether or not the Naval Air Station was still dumping, which they had indicated they rarely did, there was some type of emission.  She recently heard from a woman who walked near the base and complained she was sprayed by something that resembled a black powder.  The word “exhaust” was added to the phrase.

 

Mr. Mortenson suggested using “the possibility of other radionuclides” in Section 3 (f)(v) rather than the words “Strontium 90 or Cesium.”  Regarding the flooding of the Truckee River in 1997, Linda Eissmann, Committee Policy Analyst, mentioned that the Carson River flooded as well.  It was added.

 

To Section 4, the committee added “research and investigative” to the “educational efforts.”  The reference to a meeting in late April was removed from Section 6 in preference for “to regularly updates the committees about the progress of the investigation and research and any new developments.”  The “Invitation” became a “Request.”  The concern was that the committees stayed in the loop of the activity. 

 

At Section 10, another letter to the Health Division was added to the draft recommendation requesting it to work with the UNR Department of Civil Engineering to proceed with the testing.  They also added a letter to UNR asking it to assist with the investigation, collaborate with the Health Division and participate with in-kind contributions to the extent possible. 

 

Linda Eissmann informed the group that letters had gone to each county commission chairman from an interim research project of the subcommittee of Public Lands, a Study of Domestic and Municipal Water Wells.  It encouraged the commissioners to educate their water well owners about water quality issues.  Those letters went out with a bibliography in late 2000.

 

Ms. de Braga suggested it might be a better approach to send a letter to the city and county stating the committee’s desire was to bring together all the possible resources and work with them however they can.  The letter would be drafted on behalf of both committees.

 

When told of Ms. Angle’s idea to notify residents when aerial spraying would be done, Ms. de Braga felt this might give people a false sense of security.  She did not personally believe that being indoors was beneficial. 

 

Ms. de Braga then told of a phone call she had received from a woman who had lived in Fallon from 1987-91.  She had a son who was a month old when they moved to Fallon, and when he was four they moved to Japan.  During the entire time the woman lived in Fallon, during the summer, fogging was done nearly every night.  The child died at age five of myelo-displastic syndrome, a very rare leukemia. 

 

A well-respected pediatric oncologist believed that Fallon’s was not an isolated cluster, that it had a definite cause because of the high numbers.  He suggested more involvement with the Center for Disease Control, a determination if there had been an increase in adult leukemia in the area, and a broadening of the investigation to include all bone marrow diseases.  Also, a longer period of time should be covered.  The committee added these suggestions to the draft recommendation.

 

The Health Division had refused to consider the 1992 case but yet they had included a case that was diagnosed last year even though the person had lived in Fallon over 17 years before.  Now there were three cases in 1992.  Was that a cluster? 

 

Everything was left open.  A copy of the recommendation would be given to the committee.  The report was ready. 

 

There being no further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 3:39 p.m.

 

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

 

 

 

                               

June Rigsby

Committee Secretary

 

 

 

______________________________

Linda Lee Nary

Transcribing Secretary

 

 

APPROVED BY:

 

 

 

                                                                                         

Assemblywoman Marcia de Braga, Chairman

 

 

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