Woman claims gas fumes got kids sick

TWO children from Cocoyea, aged four and eight, have been diagnosed with bronchitis, and their physician is claiming that it could have be linked to a recent oil leak in the area. It was reported that days after State-owned oil company Petrotrin assured Cocoyea residents that leaks from aging oil pipelines had been brought under control, the affected residents were forced to call back Petrotrin about new leaks. Linda Austin said she and her family of Culbin Road at Cocoyea Village, were facing  serious health risks since her two young children were already suffering from coughs and nausea. Austin told Newsday that her husband, Sheldon, discovered oil seeping from a hole behind their retaining wall on Sunday. Subsequent to the discovery, the couple’s children Dillon, eight and Dana, four, both complained of feeling sick.

“The scent of petrochemicals dominating the atmosphere was a direct cause of my children vomiting and being in a disoriented state,” Austin claimed. Austin said yesterday her daughter’s health deteriorated to the point where she had to be taken to the family physician, who diagnosed the child with bronchitis. “Our doctor told me it was as a result of the petrochemical fumes in the area,” an angry Austin said. Efforts by Newsday to reach the doctor for confirmation of his diagnosis proved futile. “Noticing that Dana was suffering from a nasal infection, high fever, coughing, vomiting and loss of appetite, I decided to take her to the doctor for the second time, where he diagnosed her with the illness and administered antibiotics,” Austin added. She also said her son was starting to show similar symptoms.

When he was taken to the doctor, he was also diagnosed with bronchitis. Austin reported that Petrotrin officials arrived on the scene Sunday and sealed the leak at their home. She said a Petrotrin official told her the pipeline was an old one which had to be replaced. “The official said Petrotrin had intentions of changing the pipeline, but he could not say where,” Austin said. Efforts to reach Petrotrin officials for comment yesterday proved futile.