Wage Increase Deceptive, Say Feds

Another Snow, Another Day Off In W-b Area

By TOM OBRZUT JR.; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Sunday, January 16, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





WILKES-BARRE -- Years ago, fighting a fire at a local industrial plant was
like playing Russian Roulette, said a local emergency management official. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Firefighters were in the dark about the hazardous chemicals that were
stored in the building and were unaware of the dangers these chemicals posed
if they somehow were mixed together. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Today, counties' emergency management officials and local fire departments
are much more prepared to handle such situations, thanks to a state law. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning and Response Act of 1990
requires businesses that manufacture or use certain chemicals to report the
information to local, county and state governments. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The act sets fees which nearly 3,000 businesses pay to the county and state
to offset the cost of each county's emergency response plan. Some of the most
common chemicals used and stored include sulphuric acid, chlorine and ammonia. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The money paid eventually is turned over to the individual counties where
the companies are located. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Law &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
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 LAW, page 9B &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jim Siracuse, Luzerne County's emergency management coordinator, said
Luzerne County's 1992-93 allocation from the state Emergency Management
Council was $103,692. In the county, more than 300 businesses pay the
established $75 per chemical fee. Siracuse said if a company's emergency plan
requires an update, the fee is $100. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In Lackawanna County, 110 businesses pay an annual fee of $50 per chemical
to the county, said Tom Pitoniak, director of the Lackawanna County Emergency
Management Agency. This year the county received $39,819. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "That money comes directly from the facilities that use these hazardous
chemicals," Pitoniak said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 During 1993, the Luzerne County EMA responded to 80 calls, 65 of which
involved hazardous chemicals, said Siracuse. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That's why it's important that counties annually submit for state approval
a proposal describing how they plan to spend the money to meet federal and
state safety laws, Pitoniak said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The submission includes a detailed analysis of possible threats that exist
from hazardous material accidents, a list of local resources available to
respond to an accident, and a spending plan to correct emergency response
deficiencies using the chemical fees paid by businesses. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The assessment document provides an important blueprint which county
governments can use to begin building a predictable and dependable community
preparedness and response capability to address accidents involving hazardous
materials, said Pitoniak. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It allows county and local governments to develop an appropriate emergency
response capability with the bulk of the costs borne by businesses which use
and store these dangerous chemicals in the community," Singel said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Command post van &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 County officials say they plan to put the money to good use. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Luzerne County will complete stocking its $40,000 high-tech emergency
response vehicle, Siracuse said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The van will serve as a command post at an emergency. It will be equipped
with a radio, portable radio, portable computer and reference materials, he
said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Luzerne County contracts its own emergency response team -- Team
Environmental of Old Forge -- because it's too costly for the county to
maintain its own, Siracuse said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Our people and local fire personnel have to take the initial steps," he
said. "There are more defensive measures, like dropping absorbent pads to stop
a leak away from the danger zone. That's what this truck will be set up to
handle." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When the contracted response team arrives, it would be responsible for
plugging a leak or removing the containers that spilled, said Siracuse. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lackawanna County has leased a four-wheel-drive vehicle and purchased a
portable radio for it, Pitoniak said. Also, the county is setting up a new
radio frequency just for its emergency management agency. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We won't have to rely on other frequencies at the scene," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wyoming County will use its $6,476 to buy portable radios for its
contracted hazardous materials team -- Environmental Products and Services of
Harrisburg, said Martha Decker, the county's emergency management coordinator. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If an emergency occurs the company has a small response team based in
Scranton, she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Another $1,500 has been set aside in case the county ever has to clean up a
chemical spill, Decker said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Only one county company -- Procter and Gamble in Mehoopany -- pays the fee,
Decker said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Last year, the Agway plants in Laceyville and Tunkhannock also paid but
have since removed their hazardous chemicals, she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "This money can always be used for some standby or future need," Decker
said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The law has helped raise the awareness of local emergency management
officials, Siracuse said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "If there was a fire at a plant in the mid-'80s, very seldom did the fire
department have an idea what was in the plant," he said.

State Law Assists Emergency Response Teams 
Businesses That Make Or 
Use Certain Chemicals Must 
Supply Information About Them 
And Pay Fee To The County

State Law Assists Emergency Response Teams Businesses That Make Or Use Certain Chemicals Must Supply Information About Them And Pay Fee To The County