A rural New York community is being overtaken by a sticky fungus that is believed to have come from a nearby whiskey facility, leaving some residents in the area concerned about their health and the preservation of their homes.
Known as whiskey fungus, or Baudoinia compniacensis, the sticky residue has populated Mineville, a hamlet with a population of around 1,300 that’s located in Essex County.
State regulators have tested the mold-like substance and concluded that it is whiskey fungus in some instances. First reported by the Adirondack Explorer, the fungus rapidly spreading throughout Mineville, according to health and environmental officials cited by the outlet, marks the first case of whiskey fungus in the Empire State.
While it’s uncommon in most areas around the country, those who live in neighborhoods near whiskey facilities are no stranger to the spread of the fungus, which covers their homes and vehicles and leaves behind a dark, sometimes speckled substance that can take hours to remove. First documented by scientists in the 1870s, the fungus has recently affected residents in a Tennessee community near the Jack Daniel’s plant, as well as a neighborhood near the Wiggly Bridge Distillery in Maine.
The Explorer also noted that the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) tested the substance in some locations and determined it to be whiskey fungus on buildings throughout the community.
Lifelong Mineville residents said the sticky residue is new to the area. The source for it all, according to those living in the area, is the WhistlePig Whiskey storage facility that came to the area in 2017 and is located a half-mile northwest of town. The Vermont-based distillery, according to the Explorer, has “rows of 14,000-square-foot, barn-red buildings” that hold thousands of barrels of aging whiskey.
WhistlePig, established in 2007, bought land in Mineville from the Essex County Industrial Development Agency (ECIDA) in 2016 for the production, aging, and bottling of their spirits, as reported by the Explorer. WhistlePig constructed seven warehouses each measuring 14,000 square feet, and a bottling plant of similar size in the Moriah Business Park.
Residents in the community reported to Fox News Digital that a black substance they had thoroughly removed from their homes earlier this year is currently reappearing.
Before cleaning her home during the summer, Sandra Ploufe, a resident in the Grover Hills neighborhood, and 83 years of age, claimed that her house was heavily covered by the black residue.
“We were unable to do anything about it. My two sons and husband couldn’t manage it,” recalled Ploufe. “Initially, my husband sought help from the town supervisor who disappointingly stated that there’s nothing he could do about it, yet it was through his authority that the issue had come about.”
Ploufe also mentioned that her husband sought help from the WhistlePig establishment to clean their home, only to be asked to vacate the premises. “They weren’t very helpful,” she recalled.
In the end, Ploufe’s husband and sons had to resort to cleaning the house themselves, acquiring the required materials from a local Lowe’s store. “They did this in June only for it to resurface,” she narrated, speaking about the troublesome substance.
“They managed to get rid of it once,” added Ploufe. “But now its reappearing. It began reemerging in August, and multiple houses in the vicinity have been affected.”
WHISKEY VS. WHISKY: DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO LIQUORS?
Joe Ploufe, spouse of Ploufe, expressed in an interview with Fox that he had been zealous in his pursuit of a resolution, seeking to rid their property of this invasive substance. Previous to this, he had even toured the WhistlePig facility in hopes that they might extend their services to aid in the sanitization of his residence. Initially, he was given assurances that this would be the course of action, but a year passed by with no change, as documented in the Explorer. On revisiting the issue with WhistlePig, Ploufe was summarily dismissed.
Sandra added that despite the active involvement of her husband in liaising with the health department to facilitate domestic sanitary services, the local administration has remained incommunicado about the widespread presence of this fungal outbreak. Consequently, the couple and their family are left anxious about the air they are inhaling every day.
In the first stages of the alleged fungal invasion, Sandra discloses that she and her husband were informed their home was infested with mold, an update that coincided with their apprehensions about the facility’s expansion.
Sandra voiced her concerns, “Is every dwelling in Grover Hills afflicted with mold?” and dismissed the notion as nonsensical.
“You should be here and see it, to see all the houses that have the whiskey fungus,” she added. “We’re all complaining and they’re doing nothing about it. … No one’s listening to us.”
Thomas Scozzafava, who serves as supervisor for the town of Moriah, told the Explorer that WhistlePig is not in violation of any regulations and that the town can’t do much about the situation.
“Some things you’re going to have to live with,” Scozzafava said. “But I agree with the homeowners. If I was next door, I would expect something.”
As part of the aging process, alcohol stored in whiskey facilities evaporates into a vapor known as “angel’s share.”
“I call it devil’s bulls—,” says Harold (Joe) Nephew, a 74-year-old Mineville resident. His home has also been covered by a black substance. He believes that this substance is whiskey fungus, however, he hasn’t had what’s covering his home tested for it yet. Cleaning his home is nearly impossible for him as he has a tracheostomy.
He reportedly spoke to a worker at WhistlePig and was told that the business was not responsible for cleaning outside of 900 feet from the operation. According to Nephew, WhistlePig determined his home was about 1,000 feet away but agreed to clean his home anyway. Until now, he has not received any response.
“It’s discouraging,” says Nephew.
WhistlePig, as reported by the Explorer, argues that the black residue found on local residences cannot be solely attributed to their operations. Nonetheless, they have considered cleaning the affected properties on an individual basis.
In quotes attributed to Scozzafava by the outlet, WhistlePig is described as a great neighbor. They are acknowledged for their contribution to the local economy, including good wages, property taxes, and their general investment in the community. However, the issue of the whiskey fungus has been a matter of concern.
The Explorer was informed by Jody Olcott, the co-director of the ECIDA, that WhistlePig was sold additional adjacent land by the agency. On this land, the company is currently building eight warehouses, each 14,000 square feet in size. According to Olcott, each warehouse can accommodate roughly 14,000 barrels, this, in turn, would enable WhistlePig to age over 200,000 barrels after the facilities are complete.
Requests for comments on the spreading fungus from both WhistlePig and Scozzafava by Fox News Digital have yet to receive responses.
Original article source: Fungus linked to whiskey warehouse bedevils rural New York community: ‘No one’s listening to us’
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