LETTERS, E-MAILS, DIRECT CONTACT

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CORRESPONDENCE REQUESTING ASSISTANCE

CONGRESSWOMAN LYNN WOOLSEY United States House of Representatives-EDUCATION and WORKFORCE COMMITTEE

LETTERS, E-MAILS, DIRECT CONTACT

February 23, 2009 OPEN LETTER TO APHIS; REGULATORY ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPMENT

Monday, 09 March 2009 01:28

PDF OF February 23, 2009 Letter to APHIS

RE: ENVIRONMENTAL RELEASE OF CERTAIN GENETICALLY ENGINEERED (GE) ORGANISMS and PROPOSED RULE FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY REGULATIONS

PDF OF December 3, 2009 Letter to Trend from USDA

NOTE: Although APHIS received the 2/23/2009 letter from Trend on 2/27/2009, it was because United States President Obama had contacted them that the USDA replied to Trend; ALMOST 10 MONTHS AFTER RECEIPT OF HER LETTER.

SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN

Monday, 02 February 2009 00:03

Attempts were made to United States Senator, Dianne Feinstein concerning complaints about lack of Federal and state of California agencies NOT responding to biosafety violations, Agraquest and David Bell. They included:

Office of Inspector General
United States Department of Human Health Services
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Department of Labor
National Institure of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
California Occupation Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA)
California Office of Attorney General
Yolo County Health Department

September 13, 2004 - United States Senator Dianne Feinstein's response (letter/e-mail) concerning complaint about lack of Federal and state of California agencies responding to biosafety, Agraquest and David Bell. ^{view letter/e-mail→ HERE}

October 10, 2004 Letter sent to Senator Dianne Feinstein concerning Privacy Release Form sent ^view→^HERE

October 10, 2004 Privacy Release Form sent to Senator Dianne Feinstein ^{view→ HERE}

October ?, 2004 [after October 14, 2004] E-mail sent to Senator Dianne Feinstein ^{view→ HERE}notifying her that the Privacy Release Form had been sent via US Postal service on October 10, 2004.

Additionally provided in this e-mail, was the "update" on David Bell:

"He [David Bell] received findings from phelm he coughed out of his lungs":

"It shows Penicillium (they are still culturing it to try and identify which species it is) and Acremonium FUNGUS

That, along with the Histoplasma Capsulatum FUNGUS..... totals 3 "that has shown up in his [David Bell's] body".

"ALL OF THIS WAS AT THE LAB HE WORKED AT [Agraquest in Davis, California]"

"I am also sending you an attachment that is an interview with the CEO of the lab [Pamela (Pam) Morrone] that says, "we find soil from all over the world". The fungi are from soil"

"My son is coughing up blood now not to mention the THICK mucous that is, as he says, "strangling him."

"PLEASE... PLEASE HELP!!!

There was never a follow-up by Senator Feinstein nor any further correspondence from her after she had received the Privacy Release Form, the October 10, 2004 letter concerning the Privacy Release Form being sent and the email which was sent to her after October 14, 2004.

Why did Senator Feinstein ignore this?

1/10/2004 REPLY FROM CDC, Lauren A. Burwell, M.D., Mycotic Diseases Branch

Monday, 26 January 2009 19:57

August 10, 2004, Reply from Lauren A. Burwell, Mycotic Disease Branch of The Center for Disease control (CDC) in response to Histoplasma, David Bell and Agraquest. ^{view e-mail→}^HERE

^{IN PART}^:_{"As CDC is not itself a regulatory agency, we do not have authority over the safety of workers in industrial laboratory settings. However, we do work with federal partners to provide guidance for the safety of workers in laboratories. The following link may be helpful to you, as it describes the recommended precautions for people who work with microorganisms: http:www.cdc.gov/od/oha/bioafty/mbm14/mbm14toc}

_NOTE_{: It is questioned "why" the CDC would "ignore" the fact that Agraquest (AQ) had the fungus histoplasma in their research and development company in the first place.}_{AQ finds microorganisms for the purpose of bio-control for their bio-pesticide, bio-insecticide, bio-fungicide products "for disease of plants and insects". AQ was not licensed to find cures for human diseases such as Histoplasmosis that is caused by the fungus, Histoplasma. AQ however states in the November 1998 filing of United States Patent #6,004,774 (listing AQ scientists as "inventors" view→ HERE , and Pamela Gail Marrone as "first named inventor"}_{view→ HERE , “Additionally, an antifungal composition comprising an extract produced by B. subtilis strain ATCC 55614 may be used to treat human fungal diseases in which the disseminated disease is a condida, for example, Aspergillus sp, Histoplasma sp. and Tinea sp." view patent page stating this→ HERE [ See end of column #12 and beginning of #13]}

•Four days after David first sought emergency medical care, all four scientists started signing away their interest rights to the patent [U.S. 6,004,774]. ^{view→ HERE}

_{August 14, 2004}_{, Response letter to the}_{August 10, 2004}_{, letter from Lauren A. Burwell, CDC ,} ^{view document→ HERE}.

_{Numerous issues were addressed in this letter}_:

_{Purpose and urgency for CDC to investigate.}
_{11 other employees were said to have gotten sick at the same time David Bell did. Receptionist was told to "shut and lock the lab door"}
_{AQ brings microorganisms in to the United States from Around the globe.}
_{AQ brought in a bag of soil in a suitcase from South America which was undocumented on a commercial airliner and bragged about it.}
_{AQ has 20,000 + microorganisms in their culture collection - what are they?}
_{David Bell not only has Histoplasma (identified in his blood serum by the Arizona Mayo Clinic). [Histoplasma is not endemic to California, it is found in Arid Humid areas]}
_{David Bell has a depleted immune system since employment at AQ requiring IV Immunoglobulin Infusions every 28 days for possibly life [advised by immunologist]).}
_{David Bell is now going into Tachacardia and requires Beta Blockers.}
_{Relation to Histoplasma and David Bell's exposure at work.}
_{Literature and Congressional material/hearing on Histoplasma being used in bio-warfare.}

_{There was never a response from Lauren A. Burwell, Mycotic Diseases Branch - CDC after the above August 14, 2004 letter was sent to her.}

1/22/2004 thru 6/9/2004 EPA_COMMUNICATIONS

Sunday, 25 January 2009 16:27

Information was sent to the EPA in late 2003 or early 2004 with regards to Agraquest's involvement with the fungus, Histoplasma Capsulatum being found in David Bell's blood serum in 2003 by the Arizona Mayo Clinic, and Agraquest's products approved by the EPA. as is documented in the following e-mails, the end result was "no action" was taken against Agraquest per EPA’s responsibities to protect human health and the environment.

The following e-mails show the attempts made to the EPA to uphold both Federal and state laws for their agency to protect not only the environment but human health as well.

The following are "excerpts" only.^{view the actual correspondence to and from the EPA→}^HERE

•1/22/2004

DESCRIPTION:

REPLY TO SHANAZ BACCUS'S E-MAIL:

"Ihank you....." "We have been getting the run around"

•1/24/2004

DESCRIPTION:

E-MAIL RECEIVED FROM DANIEL L SUDAKIN PER SHANAZ BACCUS

"I am a physician who provides consultation to the the EPA in matters relating to human pesticide exposures. Your inquiry to EPA regarding Histoplasmos was forward to to me, and I would be interested in speaking with you to collect more information. Is there a time that would be convenient for you in the next 48 hours? Please let me know."

•1/24/2004

DESCRIPTION:

REPLY TO DANIEL L SUDAKIN'S E-MAIL

"Thank you so much for your rapid response! I have forwarded this email to my son, David Bell, who is going to contact you, Please help us Dr. As you can tell by my 1st and 2nd letter to the EPA... this has been horrific for us. I am glad to know that someone, finally, is interested in what has happened to my son. I have forwarded your email to my son, David Bell He is going to contract [contact] you directly as it is he who has all the information needed"

•DAVID BELL THEN CONTACTED DANIEL L. SUDAKIN AND WAS TOLD, "THERE ISN'T ANYTHING I CAN DO"

•6/6/2004

DESCRIPTION:

E-MAIL TO SHANAZ BACCUS:

"The following person who you referred this matter to talked to my son said, there is noting I can do". Any suggestions"?

•6/7/2004

DESCRIPTION:

E-MAIL RECEIVED FROM SHANAZ, BACCUS-EPA BIOPESTICIDE and PREVENTION DIVISION::

"Did you try CDC and OSHA? OSHA covers manufacturing regulations. As far as I know, Histoplasmosis is not associated with any active ingredient registered as a microbial pesticide for Agraquest."

•6/9/2004

DESCRIPTION:

REPLY TO SHANAZ BACCUS E-MAI:

" Yes, I wrote to the CDC and OSHA... via snail mail... that was weeks ago. No answer. Do you have any email addresses for any of them? I can't find any." "David didn't get the Histoplasmosis (I don't believe) from any ingredient in any of their [AGRAQUEST], however he contacted [contracted] it from the histoplasma capsulatum that they [AGRAQUEST] had on site. As I said before, they [AGRAQUEST] smuggled in microbes/fungus from all over the world in suitcases. On a trip to South America one of the scientist was bragging about how he got it through customs. They [AGRAQUEST] were bringing feces and soild samples from all over the world."

"Also, Agraquest has a plant in Mexico... and no doubt they could have brught histoplasma capulatum in from there. There are caves in Mexico that have warnings that Histoplasma Capsulatum is in the caves from bat dropplings."

"They [AGRAQUEST] have also stated that friends and family bring in all sorts of things to be tested to see if there are microes/fungus that might be helpful for "natural pesticides".

"The whole point is my son is SICK and it is because of what he picked up in the lab. Someone has to be held accountable for what they did to him." Please. I beg of you... please help us."

NOTE:

There was never a response from Shanaz Baccus nor anyone else at the EPA to the e-mail above nor any other communications from the agency.

After the above e-mail communications to and from the EPA, as well as Daniel L Sudakin, who the EPA referred David Bell's exposure at Agraquest to, not only had David Bell contracted Histoplasma from Agraquest, he also tested positive to the following bacteria and fungus that also have a direct workplace exposure connection to Agraquest:

BACTERIA: (source's nose and/or sputum cultures);
Acinetobacter,
Pseudomonas,
Staphlococcus

•FUNGUS; (source's nose and/or sputum cultures);

•Acremonium,
Curvularia,
Penicillium

•BACTERIA & FUNGUS (source; IgG levels from "positive" to "HIGH POSITIVE";

Alternaria,
Aspergillus,
Botrytis,
Candida,
Cladosporium,
Eppicoccum,
Fusarium,
Helminthosporium,
Mucor,
Penicillium,
Pullularia,
Rhizopus,
Stemphylium.

April 29, 2004 - UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN HEALTH SERVICES

Friday, 23 January 2009 23:40

April 29, 2004, E-mail sent to the United States Department of Human Health Services informing the agency what had happened to David Bell while working at Agraquest, help was also requested from the HHS. ^{view E-mail →} ^HERE

cc'd to:

WHITE HOUSE, CDC (certified letter also sent on 5/1/2004), NIOSH, SENATOR BOXER, SENATOR FEINSTEIN, OSHA and CAL/OSHA.

June 4, 2004, E-mail reply from Donald White, spokesman for the Health and Human Services Department ^{view E-mail HERE}

"OSHA is part of the Department of Labor ( DOL ). So my thinking is that you are trying to reach the Office of Inspector General ( OIG ) for DOL. Not sure that they can help, but know that we unfortunately can't."

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