After reviewing a comment left on one of my postings, the subject of cancer has been brought up. Few people think about this side of the "get rich quick" oil field employment. The sad reality of it all is that oil field exposure comes with many health problems both to the workers and the innocent people who choose not to have any association with the industry. Living in the center of the industrial mess, I see many health hazards from buckets and barrels of toxic chemicals laying along side the road unattended to extreme high readings of toxic gases and chemicals released into the air that we breath. All of this comes with a price to pay, the workers seem to think the money is worth the risk, the people, livestock and wildlife that are forced into exposure with no choice are just "unfortunate". I have noticed that none of the 350+ trucks that run up and down the roads daily have no children in them, of course not, this exposure is not good for children, and also against the law, but it is okay for a child playing in their backyard to be exposed to toxic waste 24/7??? Isn't it strange how money changes everything, from health guidelines and standards to child endangerment. So by choice the oil field workers chance of dying of cancer is extremely high and hopefully has saved some of those "big paychecks" or invested in a good insurance policy so his family will survive without him and pay the medical bills when he is gone without selling their home and all of their belongings. And not by choice innocent people will also die.
Based on well-documented associations between occupational exposures and cancer, it is estimated that approximately 20,000 cancer deaths and 40,000 new cases of cancer each year in the U.S. are attributable to occupation.
Exposure to arsenic is suspected as the cause of many types of cancer. The types of cancers that are found in workers that are regularly exposed to arsenic are: skin cancer, scrotal cancer, liver cancer, cancer of the lymphatic system, and lung cancer.
These are just a few of the many facts on petroleum exposure and health risks.
Interesting that Texas is on the list as one of the top oil producing states and also has an extensive list of cancer treatment centers in their state. Now North Dakota openly brags about being on this list also, but with few to no cancer treatment centers, so does that mean we all have to travel to Texas for treatment? or does that mean we just die without treatment? Why would anyone in North Dakota think that they are beyond getting cancer because of exposure from oilfield toxins? North Dakota probably rates number one for denial and failure to educate employees and public on environmental exposure to petroleum hazards. The North Dakota Health Department has totally failed in this department and worse than that has put many lives at risk.
None of the trucks have NO children in them is a double negative. "or does that mean" should be Or does that mean.
ReplyDeleteI have worked in the oilfields and would like to point out that the industry spends hundreds of thousands of dollars to build drill sites like a bowl and lay a plastic underlining to prevent the waste from running off into the environment. They also spend a ton of money covering waste ponds to prevent birds from flying into them. Sure they can do more but how much do you want to pay for fuel and how many of our finest young men and women do you want to die to secure foreign oil? Everything has risks. Multitudes of people are killed on the highways every day but you still take risk and drive to get to places you need to go.
reply to anonymous, you have obviously never been to North Dakota, not one well site has underlining or fenced and netted waste ponds, welcome to the real world.
ReplyDeleteI work in the bakken near williston. Well sites up here are not lined but the company I work for also does not have pits. We run a closed loop system for drilling so a pit is not requiered. Our fracing ops are tanks or a huge above ground pond that is lined with 3 mil liner twice. If there is a spill we excavate contaminated soil and take it to a disposol that can handle it properly. As far as gases all Natural gas is flaird. The coal powered power plants put off more toxins than out flairs. All the water that we use is fresh water from wells. We do add chems to them when pumping operations are going on but take extream mesurers to not have a spill. Accidents happen we are only human. I have worked in the oil fields in Colorado, wyoming, North Dakota, and New Mexico. I have not become sick nor has anyone that I know has. Cancer is caused by many thing's not just industry. I beleave if its going to happen it happens. Your microwave can give you cancer, cell phones, well water in places oil and gas are not present. I could be killed walking across the street. P.S I cant spell very well because im a unedecated oil field hand that makes 250,000 a year to.
ReplyDeleteWatched a close family member go through bladder/colon cancer last year. He lost after a long painful battle. NO amount of money is worth having to go through that bullshit. You have to sell your life to survive but try to sell as little as possible for as much as you can get. Life is short!! Don't waste it all working to buy stuff you don't need to impress people you don't care about.
ReplyDeletei want some of that oilfield money
ReplyDeleteI am watching a friend of over 30 years go through many issues. He canot remeber anything and blames it on the fact he owns his own company and just has too many things on his mind. He also cannot breath at higher elevations yet has never smoked. I do and have absolutely no issues like this. He is only 47. He also is having chronic issues with his sinuses and wakes with headaches yet he will not stop. Made a million last year but what good is that money when you won't live to be able to even enjoy it. His wife and children also are and have been suffering many medical problems too numerous to list. If this were not bad enough he has to drive 3.5 hours to where he operates his company in E Montana. He has sacrificed life with his family of 4 for nearly 3 years now. His daughter was crying when he left this last Sunday asking when dad will we ever spend time together. She is 17 and said she only has a year left of being a child. He then said he has no life and hasn't for 3 years now and isn't liking it either. This right there is enough to tell me no amount money is worth being away from family. You can never get them years back. The lost memories alone is bad enough let alone the health effects that it is having on them.
ReplyDeleteI guess we can all go home and find minimum wage jobs,but when our third world neighbors come get these jobs ,lets not complaint ....
ReplyDeleteI guess we can all go home and find minimum wage jobs,but when our third world neighbors come get these jobs ,lets not complaint ....
ReplyDeleteBan the consumption of oil and our world will be a better place
ReplyDeleteThusly in the event that you are searching for an oil stock which will furnish you with relentless income than an oil stock which is a trust unit is your decision. undefined
ReplyDeleteMy husband has worked in the oilfield since the age of 18.Niw at 48 was diagnosed with bone cancer,that man rarely got sick and now cancer ,Do you think is it realtated to working in oil field
ReplyDeletemany things cause cancer,, oil on skin incresse the chances
ReplyDelete