Dear Source:
On February 26, Hugo Hodge had his comments reported in the source “WAPA head pushes back at waste to energy critics”.
In his comments, he questioned the fairness of the hearing and the credentials of one of the testifiers. Unfortunately, his comments are full of misleading half truths. How do I know? I am the Vietnam Veteran who testified on Dioxins and whose credibility he questions.
I was disabled by exposure to Dioxin in Vietnam otherwise known as Agent Orange. I recently became aware of the fact that the burning of municipal waste emits Dioxin, a severe health hazard. The burning of plastics and tires are the principle causes. (See my Daily News article on Tuesday, February 23, in the Opinions section). I was asked to testify based on many years of experience with developing and managing of large technical development contracts.
Mr. Hodge would have you believe that my only expertise is in internet research. To the contrary, from 1968 when I was exposed until the present, I have been involved in the fight to get Dioxin/Agent Orange recognized as a disabling cause of cancer, diabetes and birth defects through my membership in the Association of the United States Army (ASUA) and the Reserve Officers Association (ROA) and as a retiree with a permanent disability as certified by the US Surgeon Generals Office and the Veterans Administration (VA).
Mr. Hodge opines that these are insufficient credentials to be selected to testify but that is the decision of the committee staff not Mr. Hodge.
He prefers that the “experts” he has hired be considered much more credible. I point out that their experience is academic while mine is personal; further, the internet source I cited are an EPA review of Dioxin conducted by the US National Academy of Sciences and maximum safe Dioxin exposure levels established by the World Health Organization of the United Nations.
How do your “experts” credentials stack up against those organizations Mr. Hodge.
However the bottom line is not my experts versus Mr. Hodge’s experts no matter what their academic credentials. For Mr. Hodge to try to imply that I know nothing about Dioxin when I am living with diabetes caused by Agent Orange/Dioxin is ridiculous. I have the disease and the US Government has accepted responsibility for it. Previously, the Government claimed that there was not hazard and for years denied responsibility and I am sure that many “experts” supported them.
Finally, the overwhelming numbers of victims forced the Government to admit liability. There is currently a similar battle for Veterans of Desert Storm about Gulf War Syndrome. The Senate President, Senator Hill is a Veteran of that conflict and I am sure he has buddies who are afflicted.
I would invite Virgin Islands Veterans of either conflict to tell their stories. Mr. Hodge you and your experts are in the position of Sir Isaac Newton if he had tried to deny gravity after the apple hit him on the head.
Any theory which contradicts proven facts is clearly invalid. I don’t care what experts you trot out Hugo, the facts speak for themselves.
My life expectancy has been shortened and the possibility of severe complications including amputation, blindness and immune deficiencies is ever present. If any increases of levels of the diseases know to be caused by Dioxin results from Alpine / WMA / WAPA actions you can expect lawsuits against all concerned of massive proportions.
Hugo you are like the sorcerer’s apprentice, you have no idea of the evil forces you might unleash. Now do you or your experts want to try and convince me that I don’t know what I am talking about.
You are talking theory and I am talking real life. I live with this disease every day and those responsible are much like you and your experts. Go back to the drawing board and find a solution which emits no hazardous pollutants or if you won’t then resign and make way for someone who can and will.
Mr. Hodge has spent a great deal of the rate payers’ money to pay these “experts” to appear in various forums including Senate hearings. Such “experts” are like expert witnesses in court. You shop for someone who will say what you want and then you pay them to say it. An additional advantage for Mr. Hodge is that he doesn’t pay for any of this. The rate payers do and they were never asked if they wanted to. Also involved are a public relations firm and ads in various media (TV radio and newspaper).
As to Mr. Hodge’s time to speak, he played by the same rules as all others. If he wanted to know what the rules were, all he had to do was ask. That is what I and other testifies did.
In the two hearings I attended, Mr. Hodge and his allies received far more time over all than his opponents. His comments about Senator Barshinger’s impartiality are also misleading. The Senator conducted two long days of hearings comprising about 20 hours altogether.
Throughout he was fair and gave testifies every opportunity. When all was finished, he gave an opinion that the petroleum coke part of the contract was unlikely to be approved and he attempted to promote a compromise not involving petroleum coke. He was simply doing his job. In March he and other Senators must vote on St. Thomas leases for Alpine to move forward. Mr. Hodge’s threat that Senators who don’t vote his way will be defeated in November is empty bombast.
Mr. Hodge I am someone who has far more experience at managing large development projects so let me give you some advise, free of charge.
1. Always tell the whole truth.
2. Serve the interest of the people of the Virgin Islands, not your own ego.
3. The people deserve your respect; it is possible to disagree without being disagreeable. Especially deserving of respect are combat Veterans particularly those who were disabled in the service of their Country.
P.S. Waste to energy is a misnomer, it is petroleum coke to energy with two scoops of trash thrown in.
Charles E. Tilson
Colonel US Army, Retired
St. Croix
