Here's the summary...my comments are in bold and I've changed some identifying information because it really isn't necessary for the purposes of my story.
July 18, 2007
Police detained a Burlington woman Tuesday after she unintentionally sickened 16 neighbors (my sick neighbor count was three, two headaches and one kid tossing his cookies -- I think the rest of the 16, if indeed that's an accurate number, were the city workers, police, and firemen who were working in close proximity) with toxic fumes and attacked city workers called in to remove the hazardous material.
Police, fire, and public works employees were called around 4:30 Tuesday afternoon in response to complaints about sickening fumes, according to Burlington Assistant Fire Marshal Tom Middleton.
Middleton says authorities arrived to find that WhackyBarb, 78, a homeowner, had installed a series of border timbers along her driveway soaked in her homemade batch of gasoline, tar, and paint thinner called creosote. Creosote is a toxic compound used to weatherproof telephone poles, but the solution is diluted and the poles are aged before installation. Officials and neighbors said the fumes from WhackyBarb's homemade creosote were overpowering. (It definitely stunk -- I could smell it at our house we don't live right next to her. I was at the house next to hers and still can't call it overpowering. I didn't go sniff the logs.)
"There were sixteen people who complained of symptoms from fumes being created," Middleton explained.
"Sixteen separate people complaining of different symptoms: headaches, burning of the eyes, nausea, and some cases (er, one) of vomiting," he added.
None required medical treatment, according to Middleton. However several children were sickened including a 12-year-old boy who was the pitcher for the city's all-star little league team in a game 90 minutes after he was exposed to the fumes. He says he became nauseous, vomited, and was forced to leave the game.
A city DPW crew removed the timbers on order of the fire marshal, but only after WhackyBarb reportedly became combative, attacked the crew with a snow shovel, and screamed at them. Police briefly detained her. City attorneys are investigating to determine whether she will face any civil or criminal penalties.
Brian Joyce - WCAX News
3 comments:
What the hell is wrong with your neighborhood these days??!!
You should get outta there!
Is this the same neighbor who lent us the axe when we were taking out your bushes? If it is, maybe we shouldn't have returned it. LOL
Yup mom, it is! Wait, did we return it?
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