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* June of 2018…
State and local public health authorities have looked high and low for the sources of fatal Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks at the Quincy veterans’ home. Now, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is offering a new theory.
“Massive floods and tornadoes” and “a lot of dirt.”
But Rauner offered no proof, and experts who spoke to WBEZ were skeptical.
…Adding… The Pritzker campaign compiled a long list of the governor’s excuses. Click here.
* WBEZ now reports that the Rauner administration released 132,700 pages of documents related to the Quincy veterans’ home on Friday. Here’s one bit…
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration knew the Quincy veterans’ home had bungled a water-system repair in violation of state health codes but chose not to cite the facility for a mistake that likely contributed to a fatal Legionnaires’ outbreak in 2015, state records show. […]
One email has Rauner’s public health director explaining how a bacteria-laden “broth of legionella” was mistakenly released into the Illinois Veterans Home water system before a 2015 outbreak killed 12 residents.
That discharge had been previously highlighted in state and federal reports. But until now, it had not been known the release was serious enough to be a “citable offense” under state rules — an important detail that could weaken the state’s position in a dozen negligence lawsuits brought by victims’ families. […]
Shah outlined how a malfunctioning tank used to supply the home with hot water sat dormant for more than a month, filled with water that had cooled to 80 or 90 degrees — a level he described as the “optimal growing temperature” for Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’.
When the tank was repaired on Aug. 6, 2015 and put back online, the facility failed to empty out the stagnant water, which wound up being warmed to a temperature in which Legionella can still flourish. Gallons upon gallons of that water were then distributed “for normal use throughout the facility,” Shah wrote.
He likened it all to a “broth of legionella” and said it likely contaminated shower heads in the home within a week of the repair.
Go read the rest. The e-mail is here.
* Another story from WBEZ…
A top Illinois public health official delivered a searing indictment of how Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office handled fallout from the Legionnaires’ disease crisis at the Quincy veterans’ home, alleging that secrecy, indecision and “never-ending conference calls” created a “mess,” state records show.
Emails sent earlier this year by state Public Health Director Nirav Shah’s chief of staff offer some of the most damaging evidence yet that Rauner’s office itself was responsible for withholding key information from state lawmakers and the media about successive Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks at the facility.
“The [governor’s office] should have followed our advice and just release [sic] the documents with no redactions. Now we have another mess created by them to deal with,” Shah’s underling, Erik Rayman, wrote on April 4.
Rayman’s note to Shah and others within their agency came in response to a WBEZ story about how Rauner administration lawyers were aggressively censoring public documents related to Legionnaires’ outbreaks at the home, which are now linked to 14 deaths.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today called for Illinois Public Health Director Nirav Shah to resign following reports that the Rauner Administration botched a water-system repair at Illinois Veterans Home (IVH) Quincy, which was in violation of state health codes, and then chose to deliberately withhold that information from the public and not cite the facility for a mistake. In newly released documents, Shah detailed the dangers present at the facility, noted that the violations warranted a citation, yet chose not to issue one. Additional reports indicate that Shah and other staff at the Illinois Department of Public Health found Governor Rauner’s office to be an obstacle in ensuring a prompt and comprehensive response to the deadly outbreaks and more focused on public perception.
“There was definitive evidence that a serious public health crisis was underway at the veterans’ home in Quincy in 2015, and the Rauner Administration and Director Shah chose to sit on their hands as veterans and staff at the home fell victim to these deadly bacteria. It’s an outrage that time after time the Governor and his team prioritized public relations over protecting vulnerable veterans, their spouses, and staff at IVH Quincy. Director Shah’s response to this tragedy reflects the height of irresponsibility and negligence, and it’s time for him to go,” said Durbin and Duckworth.
* Related…
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 11:48 am
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Ok then …global warming and you support denialists like Trump
Comment by Not a Billionaire Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 11:51 am
His inability to tell the truth is another reason not to vote for the guy. I for the life of me do not understand why he has such a problem with telling the truth. I have to believe that he really doesn’t know he isn’t telling the truth and that he somehow lives in an alternate universe. The other alternative is that he doesn’t tell the truth on purpose. I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 11:52 am
==Now, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is offering a new theory.==
“Madigan”
Comment by Nacho Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 11:53 am
It’s sad that I take better care of my home water system, than is being done at a veterans home.
The best companies I’ve ever worked for have held to the maxim that you ‘eat your own dog food’. Meaning whatever you create and sell to someone else, you have to use yourself.
I’d imagine if people in charge of these water systems had to actually use their own product, this wouldn’t have happened.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 11:54 am
While I think it is important to acknowledge that there is no direct evidence that this mistake was the cause of the problem since there was no stagnant water left to test, the circumstantial evidence is very strong.
Comment by Pelonski Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 11:58 am
God forbid this administration should ever admit a mistake.
Comment by JoanP Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 11:59 am
==When the tank was repaired on Aug. 6, 2015 and put back online, the facility failed to empty out the stagnant water, which wound up being warmed to a temperature in which Legionella can still flourish==
The maintenance staff at the facility, or a contractor brought in to do the work, repaired a water tank without draining it first? I’ve never worked on water tanks, but I’ve worked on other kinds of fluid tanks and you always, always drain the tank completely to avoid contamination. I’m sure the tanks are huge and it would be a big job, but it still needs to be done.
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:00 pm
If it keeps on rainin’ levee’s goin’ to break
If it keeps on rainin’ levee’s goin’ to break
When the levee breaks I’ll have no place to stay.
Comment by AlfondoGonz Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:00 pm
Legionnaire’s disease in Quincy, carcinogenics in DuPage and Lake: Rauner is a killer candidate
Comment by Truthteller Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:02 pm
===Emails sent earlier this year by state Public Health Director Nirav Shah’s chief of staff offer some of the most damaging evidence yet that Rauner’s office itself was responsible for withholding key information from state lawmakers and the media about successive Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks at the facility.===
Shah continued to defend the Administration’s handling of this fiasco in public; making him complicit in the cover up. He could’ve shared his concerns at any point in time. That’s on Shah.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:05 pm
So why are we spending millions on new plumbing when the cause was known all along and it was human error? Rauner has cost many human lives in his coverup and is also now costing millions is taxpayer dollars for plumbing that may not even be needed.
Comment by A Jack Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:06 pm
It’s refreshing how willing the administration is to hold its most gruesome and potentially embarrassing and discussions entirely via email. Even during a cover up.
Comment by lakeside Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:12 pm
well there’s clearly an extra ‘and’ in there.
Comment by lakeside Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:13 pm
“Was this the origin of the Quincy veterans’ home outbreak?”
Judging by the cover-up, Rauner’s office seemed to think so.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:15 pm
One thing really stands out from Shah’s email:
“If we had wanted to cite them, we could have done so.”
So… why didn’t you???
His last item in that email is offensive, but he’s probably oblivious to the offense-
“Apollo tubs that they use to bathe residents. Like a dishwasher for old people.”
The sooner this “doctor” is gone, the better.
Comment by Anon221 Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:18 pm
Keep in mind there is also a memo from Shah that clearly states the plumbing system is non compliant with state code. GovJunk should be tossed, if not prosecuted, on just this disaster. Forget his budget impasse, wrecking higher ed and the late breaking ownership of the Poison Plant in Willowbrook.
Comment by Annonin' Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:19 pm
–One email has Rauner’s public health director explaining how a bacteria-laden “broth of legionella” was mistakenly released into the Illinois Veterans Home water system before a 2015 outbreak killed 12 residents.–
Smoking gun.
Shah wrote that email on Aug. 29, 2015. The administration has been lying, obfuscating and covering up about it ever since then.
There must be some way the federales could investigate this despicable coverup. I don’t think the AG has the resources to do it properly.
If not, the next governor, GA and AG need to commit to provide the necessary resources so justice can be done here.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:28 pm
In April 2018 Rauner asked for $265 million to replace the Quincy plumbing rather than admit that the problem may have originated in an unflushed hot water tank. It seems Rauner has a massive flushing problem of his own.
Comment by A Jack Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:30 pm
The remediation in response to the release evidently didn’t work. Thus the need for the more expensive action.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:36 pm
If no one ever gets indicted in this case, that will be a travesty of (in)justice.
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:40 pm
==One email has Rauner’s public health director explaining how a bacteria-laden “broth of legionella” was mistakenly released into the Illinois Veterans Home water system before a 2015 outbreak killed 12 residents.==
This fact- and the failure to cite, and the cover-up, and this cowardly, last-minute document dump- are so infuriating. I know the Lucky Pierres of the world will claim to be able to excuse this “Because Madigan”, but this should be a massive scandal that results not only in indictments, but in Rauner’s name going down as one of the most embarrassing Governors in Illinois history, even though he himself does not end up in jail.
Comment by Arsenal Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:47 pm
=“The [governor’s office] should have followed our advice and just release [sic] the documents with no redactions. Now we have another mess created by them to deal with,” Shah’s underling, Erik Rayman, wrote on April 4.=
Oh yeah? Well…Pritzker cheated on his property taxes. /s
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 12:56 pm
I wonder if this changes Lisa Madigan’s opinion as to whether or not the state of Illinois is responsible for the legionnaires outbreak.
Comment by Huh? Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 1:12 pm
Really, WBEZ? Who uses the word “underling” in a news story?
Comment by DuPage Dave Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 1:25 pm
This keeps getting worse. As far as the money to fix the plumbing, it is needed. If it had in fact started in a tank, it was released in the plumbing system. Any pipes that are ended and not to a place where the water can exit will hold the bacteria and allow reinfection. The plumbing is out of date, anything less that a full replacement will give opportunity for another outbreak.
Comment by FormerParatrooper Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 2:02 pm
The underling is the same one who campaigned during the crisis.
https://www.google.com/amp/www.sj-r.com/news/20180327/top-health-department-aide-campaigned-during-legionnaires-crisis%3ftemplate=ampart
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 2:02 pm
==Additional reports indicate that Shah and other staff at the Illinois Department of Public Health found Governor Rauner’s office to be an obstacle in ensuring a prompt and comprehensive response to the deadly outbreaks and more focused on public perception.==
The Guv better hope the Prez outlaws witnesses flipping. And soon.
Comment by Henry Francis Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 2:27 pm
Guess what governor? BR may yet stand for Jail Bird.
Karma, always what it should be.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 2:42 pm
DuPage Dave -
“Really, WBEZ? Who uses the word “underling” in a news story?”
Somebody who got more than 100,000 pages of information dumped on them four days before the election.
Comment by Soccermom Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 2:48 pm
It’d be nice to see at least a few republican legislators also calling for his resignation. Otherwise, it can just be spun at partisan politics. This failure can be measured by the loss of human life. It deserves to be called out honestly and fairly.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 2:50 pm
I don’t want to hit Shah when he’s down, but the last line from the letter,”Apollo tubs they [the home] use to bathe residents. Like a dishwasher for old people” is more than a little disrespectful.
Not the point though. When Shah wrote this letter, “only” two residents had died, I believe https://capitolfax.com/2017/12/14/illinois-veterans-home-timeline-raises-even-more-questions/
I imagine most of the others who eventually died were already sick, but still. Telling the families that there had been such a big mistake, such a risk, would have been the only responsible thing to do.
Comment by Perrid Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 3:24 pm
WBEZ wrote the story as if that email was a report from Dr. Shah. If you click the link and look at the email, it looks like notes from a conversation with the plumbing engineer.
I don’t think this makes the administration look better. However, this spin (in addition to calling the same person a “top health official” and an “underling” in the same report) clearly show WBEZ’s bias on this story.
Comment by Downstate Dem Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 4:58 pm
I still think they should build a new Veteran’s Home for higher risk patients closer to a VA hospital. And pick a water source that doesn’t involve the Mississippi River. If they want to replace the plumbing, then fine, but only house lower risk veterans in Quincy. The home in Quincy, and I had an uncle there, did not strike me as a place adequately equipped for long term care for higher risk veterans.
Comment by A Jack Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 5:06 pm
I’m surprised Duckworth would say anything regarding an issue that was raised under her watch
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 8:29 pm
===I’m surprised Duckworth would say anything regarding an issue that was raised under her watch===
Is that you Darlene Senger?
Aren’t you suppose to be campaigning?
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 8:31 pm
=== Is that you Darlene Senger? ===
Willy wins the day.
Comment by Not a Superstar Monday, Nov 5, 18 @ 10:16 pm
Everyone connected to this farce, Rauner and Shah included, should resign immediately and apologize to those families who lost loved ones. This is outrageous.
Comment by Jerry Tuesday, Nov 6, 18 @ 8:57 am