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CITIZEN SCIENCE

Epistemic negotiation

Stakeholders (indigenous groups, activist, scientist, scholars, etc)

1) Janey Ensminger Act: the act, finally passed in August of 2012, provides health care to veterans and family members who were exposed to contaminated water while in residence at Camp Lejeune. The bill specifically lists illnesses linked to the chemicals found in the water supply, thus does not extend unlimited coverage to all former residents. Moreover, those who receive care under the bill must have resided at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more.

2)The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten: a website created in order to inform Marine/Navy personnel, dependents, and civilian residents of Camp Lejeune exposure. The website also seeks to help these individuals understand their rights under the legislation and as victims. It also provides an illness registration and photo gallery, demonstrating itself to be a page dedicated to informing all aspects of these incidents.

3) TCE: as a former organic chemistry TA and student, the chemical nature of TCE and other VOC's intrigues me. As a student of physiology, it's important to understand how certain chemical properties can effect the body; particularly in regard to pathologies that could arise from exposure. As a halocarbon, the compound demonstrates relative stability and has many industrial uses; however, this stability causes difficulty in disposing, as they do not readily degrade in typical environments, leading to accumulation. Moreover, TCE has specifically been shown to work as a central nervous system depressor. Its interaction with electrical regulation of nervous cells (and thus, action potential propagation) causes a general anesthesia effect-- leading to depressed functioning of the CNS and, in high enough doses, suppression of cardiac and respiratory function. It should also be noted that the cardiovascular system primarily operates under electrical control as well, resulting in a possible link between TCE exposure and arrhythmia 

Emergency response is not specifically addressed in the article. However, medical professional-patient relations are a key component of emergency response; as such, Dr. Good's assertions surrounding patient narrative should be taken into consideration in emergency situations. He notes that the methodology and cultural nuances of narration can provide a cornucopia of information that would otherwise be ignored.  

This report has been cited by 22 other works-- including articles, books, reports, reviews, and studies. This includes several these, book chapters, and dissertations. It appears mostly in anthropological and STSS works, indicating it has yet to move from these social sciences into the realms of policy.