In January 1996 i got hired by Interim Personnel, later known as Spherion, in Vancouver, WA. On January 29 i started working at Electronic Specialty Corporation, a Washington corporation, presumably owned by Deltec International, Inc., a Florida corporation, according to this document "On April 13, 1998 (the "Closing Date"), ESC Acquisition Corp. ("Buyer"), a Washington corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Pacific Aerospace & Electronics, Inc. ("PA&E"), purchased substantially all of the assets (the "Asset Purchase") of Electronic Specialty Corporation, a Washington corporation ("Seller"), pursuant to an Asset Purchase Agreement between PA&E, the Buyer, the Seller, and Deltec International, Inc., a Florida corporation and Seller's majority shareholder (the "Asset Purchase Agreement")."
http://www.secinfo.com/dr8Tq.7Fk.htm#1ey [this link doesn't work anymore as discovered on 02/28/2012, [it works now on 02/29/2012], please try here]
http://business.globe24h.com/sec/001/06/068000/0000068189.shtml [or here]
http://google.brand.edgar-online.com/EFX_dll/EDGARpro.dll?FetchFilingHTML1?ID=833556&SessionID=eGPqHC9nzzITjk7 at 14511 NE 13th Ave, Vancouver, WA, 98668-3501.
Between January 29 and January 31 1996 i was working continuously for 10 hours a day at a drilling press, alone in a corner of a building, far from the other workers, using 1,1,1 Triclhoroethane aka methyl chloroform as a cooling agent, calibrating ferrite relay armature holes. The 1,1,1 Triclhoroethane was sprayed onto the armatures with compressed air that i was controlling myself with a pedal, from a metallic container initially with no label on it and i was not aware of the danger of inhaling the substance. I was instructed to press the pedal every time i was inserting the calibrating tool in a hole. A fan was present but it was pointed towards me. Because i had my eyes irritated they gave me safety glasses.
1,1,1 Trichloroethane was used as anaesthetic in WWII alongside or before chloroform and was replaced by chloroform in use in general anaesthesia. The difference in toxicity between methyl chloroform and chloroform is somewhat similar with the difference between methyl and ethyl alcohol. It had various uses in the United States including in dry cleaning until January 1996, when it was banned by the WHO. Later they realized that even traces of this substance in the clothes cleaned this way were toxic.
I did thousands. Mery, the supervisor congratulated me for doing so many and "bringing them back to schedule". Yes it was spelled Mery, i was staring at her badge many times as it was unusual.
I remember this well because it was my first job in the United States in an industrial environment and that phrase gave me hope.
There were lots of Russian workers in there and in one of those days a young and beautiful Russian woman came into my corner of that huge warehouse and gave me a piece of paper with a phone number and told me that if i had any problems to call that number.
One day a gentleman in his 40s, with blue eyes came to me and told me he was the owner of the company, from Argentina, asked me how i came to the United States and welcomed me to his company.
After that i can't remember exactly what i was doing but i have the notes i made for dr Robert Bradley at Vancouver Occupational Medical Center (VOMC) at 315 SE Stonemill Dr #110, Vancouver, WA.
In another day there was on a table in the cafeteria a local newspaper that later i found in the library on microfilm, with an article saying that the Green Card lottery was intended to curb the illegal immigration into this country and he expects from the legal immigrants brought here this way to play by the rules.
On February 2 i was working with another machine using 1,1,1 Triclhoroethane as lubricant. One of the company's employee's, the one who helped me with the initial setup, named John, put “by mistake” some 1,1,1 Triclhoroethane in a plastic jar . The jar's bottom melted right away. But i didn't react because i was feeling euphoric and i wasn't thinking anymore. But after that they moved me into a different work place.
Needless to say i was driving to work and from every day.
In that weekend i was really euphoric and there was black ice all the way between Vancouver and Salem and i was invited by my friend Julian Mart and drove anyways, skidding all my way there.
I remember i locked myself out of the car with the engine running when i arrived and Veronica, Julian's wife, kinda smiling, gave me the explanation that i was too excited.
In the next week i worked in other different places at ES.
On February 6 in a company's meeting someone made me aware what i worked with and the next day a red, big, label appeared on the container with the name of the substance and they also made the MSDS available.
On February 13 i had lunch in the cafeteria with a couple of young ladies and they gave me bagels and cheese. At 14:20 i got sick and feeling breathless and i was afraid i was going unconscious or even die. Somebody told me she talked to Elisabeth, the manager and i should go home, not to worry about the time card and evertying. I went home. I started to feel better and i returned with my wife in about an hour. Mery told me that a descision was taken and my assignment ended.
Starting that day i couldn't sleep anymore. Anything i was eating or drinking had a strange taste so i stopped eating or drinking. Any noise from the apartment above seemed amplified. I started having hallucinations too. Somehow i had this obsessive idea that i was poisoned or drugged. The smells where amplified as well. I had no medical insurance. In the night of January 17 i became paranoid and took my wife from bed and drove away. On Fourth Plain Blvd i stopped a police car, i had no shoes and my wife was undressed. I asked the officer for some water because i thought the water from the apartment was poisoned. I told him i was thinking that someone drugged me. The officers told me to drive away. I drove for a minute and stopped again. They were following us and told me again to drive otherwise they are going to arrest me. Than i drove around downtown Vancouver for about an hour and went to the police station telling them they were fumes in my car. Etc.
It continued like this for six days since i couldn't sleep no more until i got pepper sprayed, arrested and beaten by a couple of policewomen on February 19 after i called 911 and the police came several times. After that they falsely accused me of assault against my wife and resisting arrest. I spent another sleepless night in jail with my eyes hurting from the spray because i was not treated. But that is another story
There were numerous negative health effects arising from that exposure including the elevation of some liver enzymes that were up to 6 times higher than normal one month after exposure.
I am aware of the statutes of limitations. I never got and probably will never get any compensation for this, ever. I remember i filed a complaint with the State of Washington Department of Labor Industry twice with no result.
About more than a month after accident i saw a doctor, his name is Joseph Eusterman of Lake Oswego, (friend with dr.Kitzhaber and cofounder of the
Archimede Movement) and in his Jeep, in the 7 Eleven Parking lot on A street, in Lake Oswego, not far then from his home. The second time the appointment was in a building in downtown Portland, on 3rd of 4t St, it might very well have been the hotel where FBI in Portland was residing. At that time.
The name of the Romanian gentleman who took me to Interim Personnel in Vancouver is Dan Laurentiu Costan of Camas, WA. I mention his name because it seemed to me in different occasions that he was personally interested in doing this, by the expression of his face.
The name of the person who sent me to dr. Eusterman was Veronica Mart of then Salem, now Seattle.
And there is much more to this story.
What i was describing above is just a tiny example of the things i was subjected to since i came in this country. They continue to present day.
I was never compensated for anything. I am living from my wife's work and my $500 Social Security check. We have a small debt on a few credit cards. And i do not expect anything either. Just an explanation.
