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St. Paul Pioneer Press | 01/20/2007 | Deaf residents sue over '05 emergency
Four deaf Rosemount residents are suing Dakota County alleging authorities did not provide sign language interpreters during a mercury spill and resulting evacuation of their neighborhood.
Kevin Loye, Gina Gist, Vikki Marshall and David Stiles filed suit in U.S. District Court on Friday alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Minnesota Human Rights Act and other laws.
On Sept. 6, 2004, authorities evacuated the Rosemount Woods neighborhood after a mercury contamination. Under orders from Dakota County's Special Operations Team, the four plaintiffs were quarantined for hours, subjected to decontamination showers and shuffled to temporary housing, according to the suit. The four allege the county failed to provide American Sign Language interpreters during that process.
After the spill, county employees answered questions and provided information to dislocated residents at a local motel. The suit alleges the county again failed to provide interpreters at that location.
The county hosted follow-up community meetings to discuss health effects as well as services and benefits available. The defendants allege interpreters weren't at all of those meetings.
That caused "humiliation, embarrassment and anxiety," the suit alleges.
The suit demands that the county modify its emergency plan to include procedures for identifying deaf residents and providing interpreters. The defendants also are seeking more than $50,000 in damages.
The spill occurred when two teen boys broke into a garage at a former Rosemount glass factory, stole jars of liquid mercury and spread it at a nearby mobile home park, exposing almost 50 people to the toxin and forcing a major cleanup.
— Shannon Prather
Four deaf Rosemount residents are suing Dakota County alleging authorities did not provide sign language interpreters during a mercury spill and resulting evacuation of their neighborhood.
Kevin Loye, Gina Gist, Vikki Marshall and David Stiles filed suit in U.S. District Court on Friday alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Minnesota Human Rights Act and other laws.
On Sept. 6, 2004, authorities evacuated the Rosemount Woods neighborhood after a mercury contamination. Under orders from Dakota County's Special Operations Team, the four plaintiffs were quarantined for hours, subjected to decontamination showers and shuffled to temporary housing, according to the suit. The four allege the county failed to provide American Sign Language interpreters during that process.
After the spill, county employees answered questions and provided information to dislocated residents at a local motel. The suit alleges the county again failed to provide interpreters at that location.
The county hosted follow-up community meetings to discuss health effects as well as services and benefits available. The defendants allege interpreters weren't at all of those meetings.
That caused "humiliation, embarrassment and anxiety," the suit alleges.
The suit demands that the county modify its emergency plan to include procedures for identifying deaf residents and providing interpreters. The defendants also are seeking more than $50,000 in damages.
The spill occurred when two teen boys broke into a garage at a former Rosemount glass factory, stole jars of liquid mercury and spread it at a nearby mobile home park, exposing almost 50 people to the toxin and forcing a major cleanup.
— Shannon Prather