The Secret Cornell

No matter how hard I’ve tried to bring the conditions of those living in rural Tomkins County to the attention of a wider audience; it never works out. But while the public may be uninformed – authorities have a clear picture of the abuse and marginalization of our rural communities: They should — they’re the source of it.

Rural people are the “Go-to” sacrifice for politicians and bureaucrats at all levels of government. The rural community is so powerless, and its issues so unreported — that every choice: from covering up CAFOs, to blatantly inequitable policy making is a “no-brainer” for insuring career longevity and reelection.

Rural governance is a recirculating pump that puts rural abuse in an endless loop of delays and denials. Here’s how it works:

I was mowing my lawn on a windy day: when an agricultural boom sprayer drove up to me – engulfing me in a large cloud of Roundup. I quickly went inside and cleaned up; but I had breathed quite a bit in before I could escape.

Immediately after the occurrence; I reported this incident to the Agribusiness that sprayed me: but they didn’t even offer an apology.

That night; I became dimly conscious that I was standing in the middle of the bathroom – vomiting all over myself and the floor and the toilet — and I didn’t even care. I crawled back into bed for 24 hours. And it took a full week for me to feel almost normal.

My complaint to the NYSDEC brought two investigators – and a report that needed a FOIL request to see. The investigation blamed me. It was reported that I expressed opinions against farming, and implied that I was either lying out of malice, or had sprayed myself — and ended with “Case closed!”

It is notable that the NYSDEC investigation into a herbicide drift poisoning never provided any facts as to the wind speed, wind direction, or application restrictions – and relied on assertions and suppositions to discredit my testimony and the incident itself.

I collected data from NOAA showing local wind speeds of 16-17 MPH – gusting to 23 MPH during the time of the incident: and along with a review of the NYSDEC report by an expert investigator of wide experience [who was concerned by its lack of facts and the appearance of bias]; sent them, with copies of the original investigation, and other reference material to state senators and representatives — everything was passed back to the NYSDEC.

The Regional Director responded that the DEC “reviewed this matter” and “the initial investigation was thorough” and “the decision not to pursue administrative or criminal enforcement was proper” — and again; offered no facts of any sort.

Last year I received a phone call from a former employee of that same Agribusiness: stating that he had read my account of herbicide poisoning in “Cornithaca County” and that the company had instructed employees to spray in conditions that were “too hot and too windy” to comply with Federal label application instructions; and to his knowledge of 46 gallons of Atrazine being illegally dumped in a ditch.

I gathered up this, and all the other information; and sent it to the New York State Attorney General’s office — they passed it all back to the NYSDEC. There has been no response.    

Agricultural interests don’t have regulations — they have friends.