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Barbara Rubin's Story |
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My name is Barbara Rubin and I
have been chemically injured by pesticides. Sensitized in my early adult years to chemicals, most likely from large scale residential uses of Dursban imposed upon my by landlords, I managed my life and environment to permit me to work productively through avoidance of further exposures In 1999, I supervised a school for developmentally disabled children under the auspices of a large, not-for-profit agency. I had a written accommodation plan which assured me I would not be exposed to pesticides without my knowledge and that I was permitted to avoid contact with the chemicals if used in my vicinity. The company did not keep its word and I was exposed (as were all in the school) to recurrent applications of Neurotoxic pyrethroid insecticides performed after school hours without my knowledge. After six months of exposure I was left brain damaged and unable to perform even routine tasks with my prior levels of skill. MRI indicated cortical atrophy while neuropsychological evaluation estimated a 24 point loss in IQ and deficits across the board in linguistic, cognitive and sensory-motor functioning. My career as a speech-language pathologist or school administrator was ended. A residential pesticide exposure was imposed upon me the following year by new tenants living below my second floor apartment. They chose not to abide by their agreement not to use pesticides without notifying the landlord and myself in advance. Dichlorvos fumes, entering my apartment through the floorboards, left me so ill that the majority of my days are still spent in bed, resting and maintaining strict avoidance of all contacts with toxic chemicals. All of my possessions were contaminated and had to be discarded; library, furnishings, clothing, electronics etc. The cumulative effects of all these exposures have been devastating to myself and my family. All incidents were reported to the EPA who informed me that insofar as the chemicals used were registered, they were not interested in investigating the users of the poisons. They suggested I litigate these matters privately, given the prior agreements that such exposures would not occur. Their indifference to the fact that routine applications of chemicals approved for use by their agency can cause such horrendous health effects, is a violation of all rational thought and moral responsibility.
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