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Pest Giant Terminix To Pay $10 Million For Using Pesticide Banned 30 Years Ago That Nearly Killed Delaware Family

By Aaron Homer
Published on: 10:12 PST, Mar 30, 2016

Twelve months after a family of four fell seriously ill at the Virgin Islands resort of Saint John, Terminix agreed on Tuesday to pay a $10 million in compensation and fines for exposing the Delaware family to a pesticide, methyl bromide — an extremely toxic, odorless gas that had been banned from being used residentially since 1984 by The Environmental Protection Agency.

Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office said, “When you break a law that protects public health, there are real victims and real consequences as this tragically shows,” in a released statement on Tuesday, via NBC News.

“When misused, highly toxic pesticides can have catastrophic consequences, and that’s why those who are certified to apply them must do so responsibly and lawfully,” Assistant Attorney General John Cruden, of the DOJ’s environment and natural resources division disclosed in a statement. Cruden said Terminix, the pest control giant had failed woefully in handling their pest control operations at the island resort.

Stephen Esmond, Theresa Devine and their two young sons had been exposed to the poisonous pesticide when a local Terminix office fumigated a unit close to where the family was staying. The pesticide had filtered into the Esmonds’ room and had accumulated four days into their eight-day stay when they began to show symptoms. Methyl bromide can cause serious damage to the respiratory and central nervous system. The Esmonds were rushed to a hospital on the island before being airlifted back to the United States.

Esmond and Devine, both aged 49, lived in Wilmington, Delaware. Esmond was a history teacher at Tatnall, a high-status private school in Greenville. He had taught there for 26 years. His two teenage sons were high school students at the same school.

A friend of the family said the “chemicals had bio-accumulated and metabolized until it became an acute poisoning, they were having seizures in the middle of the night and their lungs had stopped working, it was serious stuff,” he said.

Terminix and the local subsidiary that handled the fumigation at the resort pleaded guilty to four counts of contravening the federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, agreeing to pay $1 million in compensation to the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance for cleaning up, $1 million to finance community service projects on the Virgin Islands subject to approval by a federal judge, and $8 million in supplementary fines.

Reports say the same chemical was used by Terminix in a dozen residential units in St. Croix and a unit in St. Thomas, all between September 2012 and February 2015.

Investigations reveal the two teens suffered neurological damage and still suffer speech impediments while their parents are undergoing therapy. Justice department officials said Terminix in a show of good faith would cover all medical expenses for the next three years for the Delaware family.

The Pope had a chance to see the family, blessing them in an Atlantic Aviation hangar before his departure, according to USA Today.

Senator Chris Coons of Delaware and his wife had helped arrange the meeting with Pope Francis working in sync with the Vice President’s office and a number of other agencies. The family is a devout Catholic family, so getting the Pope to see them was a wonderful blessing, Coon said.

“The Esmonds are an amazing family who are coming through a difficult recovery; it is a blessing to be with The Holy Spirit Father in Philadelphia.”

Coons said the hangar was the best place to meet the family and appreciated everyone that made it happen.

Do you believe a $10 million fine is enough punishment for Terminix poisoning a family?

[Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images]

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