Together We Stand Letter

I have been a resident of this small tight-knit community for the past year and like many of you, I have a strong connection to this place and will do anything in my power to ensure that it survives. ABC Gas Company takes care of our gas needs. They are located nearby, and are responsible for laying down the piping to each kitchen in this suburb. A few months ago, two of my neighbors and their three children complained of eye irritation, headaches, dizziness, and nausea. The next week there were three more people who exhibited the same symptoms. After a month, there were 25 cases and today, two and a half months later, there are 32.
In my efforts to end the plague that is affecting our community, I began to do some research.   In doing so, I found that these symptoms are associated with exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas. Hydrogen sulfide gas can affect several different systems in the body. Exposure to lower concentrations can cause eye irritation, sore throat and cough, shortness of breath, and even fluid in the lungs. These symptoms usually go away in a few weeks if exposure ends. Long-term, low-level exposure may result in fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, irritability, poor memory and dizziness. Breathing very high levels of hydrogen sulfide can cause death within just a few breaths, with a loss of consciousness after one or more breaths. But that high level of exposure is not expected in a home environment. (Illinois Department of Public Health, 2011).
I am addressing you today because the evidence points toward ABC Gas Company’s practices as the source of this problem. Although this falls on ABC, I do not want to crucify them, because this could have been an honest mistake. However, it is still a problem that has to be dealt with expeditiously. Residents are becoming anxious about finding a solution that will work in favor of everyone in the community including ABC Gas, which is why I am addressing you all today. The Merriam-Webster definition of a... [continues]

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