I just finished reading an article about polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination of the Hudson River drainage (Harper’s Magazine, Dec. 2009). To make a long story short, General Electric dumped millions of gallons of PCBs into the river, geology, and groundwater for decades, leaving a toxic legacy that is impossible to fix. PCB’s are synthetic oils, and as I read the article a number of parallels between the Hudson River Valley and the recent disaster in the Gulf of Mexico came to mind: In both instances, the public’s interest lies subverted beneath the bottom line of a powerful corporation; in both, a significant slice of our nation’s national heritage has been destroyed unnecessarily.
It is interesting the way that private enterprise has replaced democracy as the emblematic philosophy of our national identity. This has not happened accidentally, and its intended results have been reaped by companies like GE and BP. The only course for curtailing disasters like the Hudson River and the Gulf of Mexico lies in government intervention, but, government is now widely regarded as the source of any and all of our ills, while people’s patriotic instincts have been diverted overseas.It is beyond human engineering to expunge the toxic mess beneath the Hudson. It remains to be seen whether the toxic mess of our national priorities and identity is beyond repair.
– Matt Orr, Bend
This article appears in Jul 22-28, 2010.








I am working on organizing a class action ADA lawsuit on behalf of people who have a medically documented need for custom compounded medications of any type because of allergies or sensitivities, and neuropathy disorders which result in sensitivities or allergies to pharmacological excipiants, preservatives, coloring agents, or other pharmaceutical substances,etc., or who have a medically documented need for customized dosages and/ or formulations of their medications. The objective is to compel Health Insurance Companies, Managed Care Programs, and State Administered Medicare/Medicaid programs and their affiliated managed care programs across the US to promptly and fairly cover the cost of these essential compounded medications, and custom compounded IV administered medications and fluids through appropriately licensed US custom compounding pharmacies.
I need your help to get the word out across the nation about this critical issue for environmentally sensitive/ allergic, neuropathicly compromised or injured people. I am looking for people who have been denied this essential coverage or adequate reimbursement for the cost of their custom compounded medications who would be interested in participating in a class action lawsuit about this issue under the ADA.
Please put an announcement about this effort in your publication and have people contact me at Peggy Magidson,pm51@msn.com and I will get in touch with them about the appropriate documentation required to participate, any costs, etc.
Thanks for your kind assistance about this critical issue for the US Environmentally Sensitive Community.
Respectfully,
Peggy Magidson
pm51@msn.com