NIEHS workshop--frogs

[ttweed@wildrockies.org (Tony Tweedale)]

  many will have received the announcement of a 'workshop on strategies for
  assesing the implications of malformed frogs for env. health',  dec. 4th &
  5th @ niehs, 111 TW Alexander Dr., RTP, NC 27709, 'open to the public'.
  
  while niehs apparantly acknowldged it may have prematurely concluded
  positive results of limb deformations in tadpoles grown in water from a
  site/s (incl. well water) where deformed frogs had been observed (they said
  it was the MN state agency that went public in a big way, not them), the
  media reports i saw did not show niehs agreeing w/ critics (epa's duluth MN
  freshwaters aquatic toxicol lab) that a simple "ionic imbabalnace" is known
  to cause such deformities (not clear if they meant distilled water, or
  waters w/ certain amnts of ions, can cause limb deformities).  the
  epa/duluth guy was quoted w/ some asenine &/or out-of-context remark about
  'every kid knowing you don't put tap water in your aquarium').  niehs did
  get positive results using water from the site of reports of malformations,
  ionic imbalance or not!  this *subsequent* (to the criticism) announcement
  by niehs of a workshop says:  "..evidence *to date* indicates that pond &
  groundwater from affected sites are capable of producing frog embryo
  deformities in the lab."
  
  
  Tony Tweedale (Causality is a concept not subject to empirical
  demonstration.   -David Hume)