"At first Mr. Ivy wasn’t concerned. He listened to the assurances of company foresters and helicopter pilots who told him the chemicals wouldn’t harm him, and he trusted his strong physical constitution and good health.
After being repeatedly soaked with the chemicals, however, Mr. Ivy’s health began to deteriorate. He started taking refuge in his truck, closing the windows and doors, whenever the spraying occurred. Within weeks he was in an isolation unit of Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg, Ore., diagnosed with a spectrum of health problems including burning lungs, a hacking cough, and “acute contact dermatitis” doctors attributed to “acute chemical exposure.”
To this day, Mr. Ivy coughs up blood and is pursuing a workers compensation claim with Applebee’s.
“When I was on site I was thinking I’d bounce back really quick,” Mr. Ivy told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “But it’s got me a little worried. I can’t breathe right.”
According to The Oregonian/Oregon Live, one of the weed killers that rained down on him and other workers was Velossa, which can cause irreversible eye damage. Another chemical used, 2 4-D, irritates skin and causes dizziness when inhaled.
Seneca Jones and Applebee Aviation coat the forest in herbicide to kill any weeds that compete with tree saplings. The timber company has just a brief window of time to control the weeds, so they douse the forest with chemicals heavily and frequently."
Read More:
Whistleblower films Oregon timber workers getting sprayed with toxic herbicides | Righting Injustice
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