The Toxic Heavy Metals Taskforce has today slammed the West Coast Council Mayor Darryl Gerrity for his comments to the media yesterday about the upcoming Reference Group and Public Meeting in Rosebery on heavy metal poisoning.

Spokesperson for the Toxic Heavy Metals Taskforce Kay Seltitzas today said “Darryl Gerrity has said on ABC Radio....

"I think they're entitled to know what is going on rather than the innuendo and the claims, let's give them some facts."

Mayor Gerrity's comments are misleading and inflammatory for a community highly sensitized to the current issues.  His statements imply that the Reference Group has already decided what the facts are going to be .

Our Taskforce find his statements derogatory, biased and pre-emptive in relation to  previous or new environmental and health investigations into heavy metal poisoning in Rosebery.

The facts are that:

several residents have been 'diagnosed' with heavy metal poisoning by several doctors and specialists.  The diagnosis of heavy metal poisoning is not 'alleged', ''innuendo' or a 'claim'.  No doctor or specialist has made a contrary diagnosis to date.

The diagnosed residents live or have lived on contaminated properties tested and confirmed by the EPA to have extremely high levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium etc

The facts about the test results from the DHHS/EPA investigation have been made publicly available by Poisoned Rosebery Residents since July 2009.  The website “sosheavymetals.com” provides factual information and if members of the community have any questions they can email the website.”

For further information contact:  Kay Seltitzas 0400 546 677

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