Hurt by Texas Department of Agriculture

Disulfoton is an insecticide manufactured by Bayer Chemical Company http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/insect-mite/ddt-famphur/disulfoton/disulfoton_receipt_102.html My job with the Texas Department of Agriculture required that I work with cotton seed treated with Disulfoton. Due to errors on the part of Texas cotton seed sellers and the makers of Disulfoton, the seed tested was not properly labeled, and there was no odor added to warn the workers that they were working with a toxic material. My fellow workers in the seed testing facility left treated seed waste in a hot room. Luther Butler E- mail to Society of Commercial Seed Technologists FOR INFORMATION OR HELP FROM SCST, CONTACT: Anita Hall SCST Executive Director 101 East State St., #214 Ithaca, NY 14850 Phone/fax: (607) 256-3313 scst@twcny.rr.com http://www.seedtechnology.net/ Please read Hurt by Texas Department of Agriculture Disulfoton is an insecticide manufactured by Bayer Chemical Company. This is a disjointed blog about my experience after being hurt after breathing Disulfoton in a hot room. I hope no one else has had similar experiences, but from my experience, the State of Texas has no sympathy for those hurt by chemicals on seed being tested. Disulfoton is a very dangerous chemical that should never be brought into a building. Previously, for twenty something years I had worked with cottonseed treated with this chemical, but until we got a toxic hood, I took the seed outside and then sealed the germination tests in plastic. If other states are like Texas, a state employee hurt by a chemical stands about the same chance as a snowball in hell of getting medical compensation much less Workman Compensation. In my case, everyone from State Senator R. Glasgow on down, fought me. Both of my eyes developed cataracts within weeks after the exposure, and doctors were afraid to remove them because of potential damage by the operation. I have been helped by implants, but I will never trust my eyes enough to try driving. The damage to my all ready damaged spinal column will never stop hurting, nor will I ever be able to walk without every step hurting. Luther Butler, Stephenville, Texas Dear Mr. Butler: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts65.htmlThank you for contacting the Office of the Attorney General. I amsorry to learn about your situation.The policies and procedures of the Texas Department of Agriculture(TDA) are overseen by the administrators of that agency and are notsubject to review by the Office of the Attorney General. You may wishto continue working with the TDA regarding your complaint.If you believe you have exhausted all of the options available withinthe TDA to address your concerns, you may wish to discuss this matterwith a private attorney. The Lawyer Referral Service of the State Barof Texas can assist you in contacting an attorney in Texas with relevantexpertise. The Lawyer Referral Service can be reached at (800)252-9690.Again, thank you for writing.Katherine S. WoodPublic Information and AssistanceOffice of the Attorney General of Texas>>> "Luther Butler" <lbutler@erath.net> 3/31/2005 12:32:46 PM >>>Luther Butler1310 WildwoodStephenville, Texas 76401I am sending you this information because when I was exposed todisulfoton by breathing the fumes in a hot room while working at theTexas Department of Agriculture, no one in the Texas Department ofAgriculture seemed to know a thing about the affects of this chemical.Since my exposure in 1985? I have had two cataract operations. I stillcannot drive a car because of damage to my eyes. I have difficultywalking. Also, my memory has been affected. I was denied workman compbenefits because my medical records and the damage done was hidden inthe TDA office until Jim Hightower left. There should be restitutionmade to me and my medical providers for the damage done. Luther ButlerNotice that I have colored in red the parts that pertain to my case. How might I be exposed to disulfoton? . a.. Breathing contaminated air, drinking contaminated water,and eating contaminated food. b.. Living near hazardous waste sites where it is found. c.. For children, touching or eating soil at or near hazardouswaste sites that contain disulfoton. d.. Working in fields where it is sprayed. e.. Working in industries that manufacture and formulate it. f.. Using it in your home or garden. SUMMARY: Exposure to disulfoton happens mostly from breathingcontaminated air, drinking contaminated water, and eating contaminatedfood. High exposures can cause harmful effects on the nervous system.Disulfoton has been found in at least 7 of the 1,430 National PrioritiesList sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). What is disulfoton? Disulfoton is a manufactured substance used as a pesticide tocontrol a variety of harmful pests that attack many field and vegetablecrops. It does not occur naturally. Pure disulfoton is a colorless oilwith an unidentifiable characteristic odor and taste. The technicalproduct is dark yellowish, with an aromatic odor. Common trade names areDi-syston, Disystox, Frumin AL, and Soilvirex. Use of trade names is foridentification only and does not imply endorsement by the Agency forToxic Substances and Disease Registry, the Public Health Service, or theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is used to protect small grains, sorghum, corn, and otherfield crops; some vegetables, fruit, and nut crops; and ornamental andpotted plants against certain insects. Although it is used mostly inagriculture, small quantities are used on home and garden plants, andfor mosquito control in swamps. The use of disulfoton has decreased inrecent years. . What happens to disulfoton when it enters the environment? a.. Disulfoton enters the environment when it is applied onfield crops, vegetables, potted plants, and home gardens. b.. Disulfoton is found mainly in soil and water. c.. Natural chemical reactions and bacteria remove it from soiland water. d.. Fish accumulate disulfoton in their bodies. e.. Disulfoton binds moderately to soil and typically does nottravel deep into soil with rainwater. f.. In water, it takes about 7 days for half of it to breakdown. g.. In soil, it takes about 3.5-290 days for half of it tobreak down, depending on soil type, moisture, and temperature. .How might I be exposed to disulfoton? a.. Breathing contaminated air, drinking contaminated water,and eating contaminated food. b.. Living near hazardous waste sites where it is found. c.. For children, touching or eating soil at or near hazardouswaste sites that contain disulfoton. d.. Working in fields where it is sprayed. e.. Working in industries that manufacture and formulate it. f.. Using it in your home or garden. . How can disulfoton affect my health? In people, disulfoton mainly causes harmful effects to thenervous system. Depending on the amount of disulfoton that enters thebody, effects on the nervous system, such as narrowing of the pupils,vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, difficulty in breathing, tremors,convulsions, and even death may occur. These effects can occur if youbreathe in, ingest, or touch disulfoton. If you ingest disulfoton fromfood or water for long periods, it may affect your eyes and you maybecome nearsighted. You may become weak and tired after skin contactwith disulfoton. Ingesting high levels of disulfoton can cause similar nervoussystem (neurologic) effects in animals. Animals that ingested disulfotonfor long periods became nearsighted, and the structures of their eyeswere damaged. We do not know whether disulfoton causes reproductive or birthdefects in people. Some animals that ingested disulfoton duringpregnancy had newborns with underdeveloped bones, damaged livers andkidneys, and underdeveloped testes. .How likely is disulfoton to cause cancer? The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), theInternational Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the EPA have notclassified disulfoton as to its ability to cause cancer. We don't know whether disulfoton will cause cancer in people. Nostudies in people are available, and animals that ingested disulfotonfor long periods did not develop cancer. . -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Mr. Butler:Thank you for contacting the Office of the Attorney General. I amsorry to learn about your situation.The policies and procedures of the Texas Department of Agriculture(TDA) are overseen by the administrators of that agency and are notsubject to review by the Office of the Attorney General. You may wishto continue working with the TDA regarding your complaint.If you believe you have exhausted all of the options available withinthe TDA to address your concerns, you may wish to discuss this matterwith a private attorney. The Lawyer Referral Service of the State Barof Texas can assist you in contacting an attorney in Texas with relevantexpertise. The Lawyer Referral Service can be reached at (800)252-9690.Again, thank you for writing.Katherine S. WoodPublic Information and AssistanceOffice of the Attorney General of Texas>>> "Luther Butler" <lbutler@erath.net> 3/31/2005 12:32:46 PM >>>Luther Butler1310 WildwoodStephenville, Texas 76401I am sending you this information because when I was exposed todisulfoton by breathing the fumes in a hot room while working at theTexas Department of Agriculture, no one in the Texas Department ofAgriculture seemed to know a thing about the affects of this chemical.Since my exposure in 1985? I have had two cataract operations. I stillcannot drive a car because of damage to my eyes. I have difficultywalking. Also, my memory has been affected. I was denied workman compbenefits because my medical records and the damage done was hidden inthe TDA office until Jim Hightower left. There should be restitutionmade to me and my medical providers for the damage done. Luther .FOLLOW UP LETTER TO ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE The Office of the Attorney General was involved in my case. The Texas Department of Agriculture turned their version of the accident over to your department.A falsified report was turned over to the Workman's Compensation Board. I had Lawyer John Terrill, John Terrill - District Attorney, handling my case, and he never made sure that my evedience of being hurt was turned in correctly. Luther Butler http://a.xcounters.com/? ¶ 8:51 AM Correspondence with Texas Public Employees Association TPEA got benefits for employees who were hurt on the job. TPEA made no provisions to help the hurt employee get those benefits. The first doctor I went to wrote out, insecticide exposure. Social Security accepted the fact I was hurt by insecticide. Lawyer John Terrill, now District Attorney, kept the case for a length of time and never even made sure the evidence was turned over to the right authorities. I tried my best to get him punished by the State of Texas The lawyer he turned over to the case was at my instigation, debarred. ex-Senator Glasgow interfered so that no lawyer would take the case. The first person an injured state employee should see is a decent lawyer - if one can be found that will take the case. When the State of Texas is dishonest, very few lawyers have a chance of doing anything for the hurt employee. Luther Butler ----- Original Message ----- From: Andy Homer To: Luther Butler Sent: Monday, April 04, 2005 9:54 AM Subject: Re: TPEA didn't help me, will it help now? TPEA is a legislative advocacy organization, we work for pay raises, maintaining health benefits, improving retiree benefits, etc. TPEA has never been involved in providing legal services to our members. In your case, we wouldn't even have legal standing to get involved. You need to consult with an attorney. http://www.blogger.com/posts.g?blogID=6360734 DA NGER All states require that a licensed seed laboratory test seed before it is offered for sale. Seed vendors gather a prescribed amount of seed and send it to the lab for analysis. Most seed companies never think about the person doing the test which in the case of small seed, requires that the analysts stick their heads into the pile of seed, and with the aid of a hand lens, minutely examine each seed. If the vendor has used a fungicide or insecticide, this means that the analyst has to breathe the fumes. In the twenty some years that I was employed by the Texas Department of Agriculture, several of my fellow workers were damaged by toxic chemicals. Two fellow analysts in other states died from chemical exposure, and several were seriously hurt. Since in some cases like me, the reason male seed analysts take the job is because of previous injuries. In my case it was a case of polio while in the Navy. State regulatory agencies do not like to pay Workman’s compensation so the injury is blamed on the previous illness. Most doctors have never studied the effects of farm chemicals on the human body. Since the chemicals can only be detected by sophisticated lab equipment, it is hard to prove what chemical did the damage. Also, most government elected officials are nervous about injuries during their watch, some of the shoddy ones such as former Texas Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower, will do and did illegal things to block the injured analyst from getting proper medical attention. In my case shots of anthropene might have burned the Disulfoton out of my system before it had time to tear up my eyes and nervous system, but when my doctor consulted with the Texas Department of Agriculture, he was told that the effects would wear off in a day or two. In a day or two, the Department called back to notifiy that the damage could be permanent. Short of using methods other than manually examining the seed, I have not been able to think of a way to obtain an analysis. In the lab that I set up and ran for seventeen years, the state spent $10,000 on safety equipment, but when fellow workers left toxic material in wastebaskets, the equipment did not work. Another thought to consider pregnant female seed analysts often work as long as they can before the infant is born. What effects does the seed treatment have on the fetus?