Rockland County Health Department withholds critical public information from residents

Rockland County is forcing residents jump through hoops to obtain public information concerning the spread of West Nile Virus in the County. Outraged residents have to file Freedom of Information requests to obtain the information.

When a Pearl River man asked the Rockland Department of Health if a batch of West Nile positive mosquitoes found in Orangetown were near his home, he was told that it was the agency's policy not to disclose precise locations of where the virus is found.

This forced Tomey to file a Freedom of Information request to get the pertinent information. But the County Health Department didn't fully comply with Tomey's request, only giving a vague idea of where the mosquito traps where the virus was found were located.

In a precedent-setting response, the Rockland Department of Health this week told Tormey that the two batches of mosquitoes collected in Orangetown were taken from a trap set somewhere on Route 303 in Orangeburg.

Now, I have a hard time understanding this. As Rockland County residents, we pay the Health Department to help look after our well being. This is the sole purpose of the Health Department. I'm wondering what all the secrecy is about. But there's more:

The Department of Health decided to release more precise information about the location of the traps where the mosquitoes were found after consulting with the county's law department, said Commissioner of Health Joan Facelle.

She has mixed feelings about releasing the information to Tormey or anyone else.

It doesn't matter what your lawyers say, Facelle. The law is clear, you have to provide this information to the public. It is not your own proprietary information.

"I understand his wish to know," she said. "But knowing where the mosquitoes were collected shouldn't alter anyone's response - the virus is endemic in Rockland and there is theoretically a risk to everyone."

That answer is entering into non sequitur territory. Why doesn't she explain why Rockland County tried to bury the information?

I'm wondering if it is the policy of Rockland County to withhold information to the public as a default. But it's not unlike Republican administrations to be so secretive.