Ok here is what happens wiht HAZMAT teams

[nadinbrzezinski]

and why I wasn't crazy to volunteer for it...

1.- All kinds of psych testing, I mean a certain level of insanity is a professional hazard, but others might be dangerous... no I am not kidding...

2.- First day of training, urine and blood samples so we can get a nice baseline of what is in that body... as well as a very long detailed medical history... did I mention the chest plates and all that?

After that, every three months you get that same battery repeated except the chest plates. Those are just done once a year. What are they looking for? Oh silly shit like heavy metals, 'zenes, as in benzene and other crap.

That is what a toxicological profile is...

Oh and any flu leads to all these tests done because you know, you could have been exposed to crap at a scene, and it COULD BE the crap...

That is what the toxicologists at the Rachel Maddow show was talking about and why when Tweety said, get people down there to do it, I was going... NOOOOO, you are fucking nuts Tweety.

[gateley]

1. Yes, when Rachel just had the marine toxicologist on I was thinking the same

thing -- these people need hazmat gear! Not some poor people who aren't trained shoved out there and being exposed to potential toxicity for $10 an hour. Another area where BP is cheaping out.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. What SHOULD happen

and yes I'd be crazy enough to volunteer... after some soul searching, is that the US Government asks for VOLUNTEERS who have actually worked HAZMAT or WITH HAZMAT teams... aka they know what they are getting into, and are insane enough.

Then the US Government has to get these people enrolled in the VA system (they do have a toxicological division that can follow these people after this is over) and give them the HAZMAT refresher needed and chiefly the gear and follow all of OSHA regs... oh and did I mention all that baseline testing? And yes BP gets to pay for all of it.

Now realistically even with a bunch of volunteers, you will not have enough people. Well these folks should be your supervisors to keep more than just an eye on this work. Again OSHA don't have enough people... oh and sadly we don't have enough equipment either.

Many of the reasons why this is the largest disaster you've seen in a while... an American Chernobyl without radiation. Oh wait, some folks insist I don't get it.

[gateley]

3. I think that would be wonderful. I'm sure many of you would want to volunteer

if you could.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Unfortunately there is this 1990 law in the way

Yes already called my congress critter and pointed out that they need to do a slew of emergency changes...