Smack dab in the middle of the Caribbean, the U.S. Virgin Islands epitomizes the phrase “tropical paradise.” Unfortunately, a family of four visiting from Delaware last year came away with a very different experience.
On March 18, 2015, two Terminix employees used methyl bromide to fumigate a villa at a resort in Sirenusa on the island of St. John. The family had occupied the villa above and suffered exposure to the dangerous gas.
Today, Terminix agreed to settle for a fine of $10 million. The company will cease using methyl bromide in the United States and its overseas territories, with the exception of one government contract for the Port of Baltimore. That news has come too little, too late for Steve Esmond and Teresa Devine and their two teenage sons.
The two teens, according to CNN, “struggle to eat, walk and sit up on their own.” Both were star athletes at their local high school before the incident. Their father, Steve Esmond, continues to slowly improve, but he “suffers from severe tremors, struggles to speak and can’t turn the pages of a book.”
It turns out that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies methyl bromide as a restricted-use pesticide, one that isn’t approved for residential use. For added kicks, the pesticide also helps destroy the ozone layer.
According to the National Pesticide Information Center, methyl bromide is corrosive to the eyes and skin. It functions as a nerve agent, attacking the neurological system of its victims. In small doses, it can severely damage the nervous system, and in large doses, it can kill. In humans, methyl bromide is described as “highly toxic.”
Evidence Points Fingers At Terminix, But Also Regulators
The evidence damns not only Terminix, but also regulators. It points to widespread corruption and leniency, especially when it comes to enforcing EPA regulations. On top of that, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the islands’ local environmental agency, seems to like losing its checkbook. In 2014, for example, $100,000 in federal funding meant to train pest control workers on St. Thomas, where Terminix is based, never showed. That meant that unqualified workers were sent to their jobs without proper safety training.
Nonetheless, Terminix higher-ups knew the rules, and then blatantly broke them — a pattern that’s tragically common when it comes to U.S. corporate business practice. In the words of John C. Curden, the Justice Department’s Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division:
“The facts in this case show the Terminix companies knowingly failed to properly manage their pest control operations in the U.S. Virgin Islands, allowing pesticides containing methyl bromide to be applied illegally and exposing a family of four to profoundly debilitating injuries. While on probation the companies are required to demonstrate to the EPA changes to their internal management and systems to ensure this type of tragedy does not reoccur.”
Whether such a “demonstration” will take place remains to be seen. Terminix will pilfer off the top of its bank account and offer a seven-digit sum in reparations. For two teenagers and their parents, however, the money won’t return their well-being.
Featured image via Coco Zickos photos, Midweek Kauai
