In January 2019 I spoke to an aide of Sen. Susan Collins concerning the dangerous spread of volatile organic compounds and associated dangers, such as deadly viruses coming from China threatening our existence on this planet.

I was exposed to toxic volatile organic compounds by my employer, made extremely ill and forced into retirement and can never work in that industry again. It took me several years to recuperate from this exposure, but I am still dealing with health effects.

The aide listened to me and said she would relay my concerns to the senator. However, when Sen. Tom Cotton tried, in mid-January 2020, to get the Congress to attend a briefing on a deadly virus coming from China, no one showed up. Their explanation was that the impeachment proceedings against President Trump were more important.

I had worked in industrial engineering and manufacturing of medical plastics for many years. Over that time I had seen an increasing trend toward dangerous managerial and engineering mistakes that put all of us in peril. I tried for several years before COVID-19 to get our elected officials to pay attention to what was happening, but they were more concerned with political bickering.

What is the result of this? We have not only a deadly strain of virus killing thousands every day but also a virus that is mutating into a more deadly form with every infection because government will not accept reality and some citizens still act like it’s just the flu.

Lawrence Everett
West Paris

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