“Dr. Christopher Teaf’s numerous paid endorsements” –Leigh Touchton

Responding to Brad Lofton’s email.
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2011 11:20:06 -0500
Subject: Background information on Dr. Christopher Teaf
From: Leigh Touchton
To: Brad Lofton <blofton@industrialauthority.com>, aricketts@industrialauthority.com, [Roy Copeland, Mary Gooding] Cc: [Sammons, Noll, Kay Harris, jsq, lhenderson, hopeforcleanwater]

To Industrial Authority Board:

In regards to the email correspondence from VLCIA Executive Director Brad Lofton concerning Dr. Christopher Teaf, I spent about ten minutes on the internet researching Dr. Christopher Teaf’s numerous paid endorsements around the country for various chemicals. This article

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0VCW/is_8_27/ai_73959431/

was compelling. Dr. Teaf is on public record endorsing the safety of arsenic in wood as posing no health threats to children (or adults). Numerous lawsuits around the country were adjudicated against his “expert findings” and subsequently the EPA banned CCA (arsenic) treated wood in playground equipment because of the health hazards to children.

I only spent about ten minutes, but I uncovered much information re:

how Dr. Teaf’s “expert” opinion has been soundly trounced by some of the same governing agencies like the EPA that Mr. Lofton deems credible on other subjects. I also found news coverage by WCTV over Dr. Teaf’s endorsement of the Tallahassee biomass incinerator, I’ve read a letter from several of his colleagues in his own department at FSU opposing his opinion, and I found the letter written by the Tallahassee doctors’ association opposing Dr. Teaf’s opinion as to the safety of biomass incineration. I also found where the Tallahassee Democrat reported his endorsement of biomass and yet he did not disclose to them that he was paid by the industry to render his opinion, IOW, a paid consultant, for BG&E, which subsequently left Tallhassee when corruption probes were launched.

Other groups that oppose Dr. Teaf’s credibility as an expert witness include the ones WACE has already shared with you: American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, and American Heart Association.

I don’t understand why Dr. Teaf’s opinion is deemed more credible by Mr. Lofton than three internationally renowned medical organizations (AHA, ALA, ACS), numerous state medical organizations like the North Carolina Physicians Association, the consensus of the Tallahassee medical association, the findings of several court cases whose outcomes were adjudicated against his position, the EPA (in the case of CCA-treated wood), and several scientists in Dr. Teaf’s own department as well as literally dozens of environmental organizations in this nation.

Please tell me who is the environmental engineer for the Industrial Authority? Did s/he conduct a health analysis of the impact on the Southside community and consult with health professionals with medical (as opposed to chemical) degrees at any point? Please consider this an Open Records Request for that documentation, and I will look forward to picking it up in 3 business days.

Thank you,

Leigh Touchton
610 Mack Drive
Valdosta, GA 31602
229-245-1009

4 thoughts on ““Dr. Christopher Teaf’s numerous paid endorsements” –Leigh Touchton”

  1. matthew richard

    as i endeavored to point out at the last city council meeting, our local gov’t officials are making decisions about things of which they have little knowledge. my example: the brain has two types of cells: neurons and glial cells. there are NO white blood cells; thus, the brain has no immune system, relying on the the tiny diameter of the capillaries themselves to keep infectious agents out. this is called the blood-brain barrier. BUT, as dr. sammons pointed out, PARTICULATE MATTER is small enough to make it through the body and into the brain. as dr. bob gannon (dept. head of biology at VSU) told me again the other night, this constitutes a major threat to health in the form of brain cancer.
    thanks, leigh.

  4. Boondoggle

    Oh and while I’m at it, Mr. Lofton claimed that all the complaints about how Dr. Teaf’s credibility was not properly vetted ….
    All of the issues that should have been researched concerning Dr. Teaf’s paid endorsement, as reported by Joy Ezell of Florida Sierra Club, all of that was ….
    “slander.”

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