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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
 Posted - 02/14/2010 : 10:34:24 PM
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Public Safety Committee
February 9, 2010
The Committee on Public Safety met on Tuesday, February 9, 2010.
The meeting was audio and video taped for the record.
Members present were Aldermen Michael Marchese, presiding, Alderman Sal Sachetta, Joseph McGonagle, Councilors John McKinnon, Adam Ragucci, Peter Napolitano and William Cardello.
Non members present were Alderman L. Charles DiPerri, Councilors Rosa DiFlorio, Sal DiDomenico, Ken Gianelli, Daniel Napolitano, Cynthia Sarnie and Rosemary Miller.
Member absent was Councilor Eloy Sierra.
The Committee considered a Resolution offered by Councilor John McKinnon:
That the City form a plan to deal with off loading of ships at the LNG and Natural Gas Facilities in Everett to make sure that they are safe and pose no threat to Everett and the surrounding cities and towns.
Mayor Carlo DeMaria, Police Chief Steve Mazzie, Fire Chief David Butler, Assistant City
Solicitor Melissa Murphy, Retired Colonel Robert Schlesinger, City of Boston Director of Emergency Preparedness Donald McGough and Mike Gallagher of SIE Union were also present.
Councilor McKinnon, the Sponsor, provided the Committee members with a copy of the “Spills and Fires from LNG and Oil Tankers in Boston Harbor” an assessment that was done by James A. Fay.
Councilor McKinnon began the meeting by asking the Mayor to comment on the Homeland Security Report that was done in relation to the shipping and off loading of LNG at the Everett Distrigas facility.
Mayor DeMaria responded that he did read the report and acknowledged that it did outline some vulnerability. The Mayor announced that he had lined up a meeting with a Global Risk Management Company to conduct an assessment of the actual facility and concerns listed in the report that still exist.
He explained that he was going after and needed federal funds for this endeavor especially where the facility was listed as a tier one facility with Homeland Security. The Mayor noted that some significant upgrades had already been done by Distrigas due to the Homeland Security Report.
Chief Mazzie concurred that Distrigas had made a bunch of improvements including installation of barriers, cameras, fencing and lighting. Chief Mazzie informed the Committee that the Everett Police Department also completed a security analysis of the Distrigas facility.
Mayor DeMaria stated that he recognized that neither he nor the City could override the decision of the Coast Guard to allow the LNG ships to travel to the Distrigas facility, but felt confident and comfortable that the ships would be safe. The Mayor stated further that he did have some concerns once all the public safety details leave and told the Committee that he shared these concerns with Senator John Kerry and Congressman Markey who agreed to have Homeland Security access the operation.
Councilor McKinnon invited Retired Colonel Schlesinger to provide some discussion on the report produced by Mr. James A. Fay. Colonel Schlesinger informed the Committee that his expertise was in radiation damage. He expressed concern that not all issues or scenarios were
Public Safety Committee – 2/9/10 Page 2
addressed in Mr. Fay’s report such as a dirty bomb or other lethal contaminants. He remarked that the possibilities of a terrorist attack was real with the City of Boston being a prime target.
He recommended that the City take all precautions to reduce the risk especially where he felt that the
Homeland Security Department was in flux and was unsure of how effective they would be.
He indicated that the best ideas could come from the City of Everetts’ own Fire and Police Departments with strength of planning. Colonel Schlesinger stated that all illogical possibilities needed to be considered.
Councilor Peter Napolitano discussed Colonel Schlesinger presentation with him and acknowledged that a dirty bomb could be placed anywhere without an LNG ship being an actual target resulting in the same dire consequences.
Councilor Napolitano noted that the LNG ships were built with double hulls for the protection of the cargo it carried.
Colonel Schlesinger explained that he was invited to the meeting due to his expertise in radiation and indicated that he was not aware of ship construction in relation to an explosive penetration to the hull.
Councilman Napolitano informed the Committee that he and Councilor Gianelli had a two hour briefing at Distrigas last week and was surprised that they were not invited to attend this meeting. He explained that all the LNG ships were owned by GDF Suez the parent company of Distrigas and that no Yemen flagged vessel would be docked at the Everett facility.
Councilor Napolitano expressed concern that the meeting appeared to be one sided without having representatives of Distrigas or GDF Suez present. He remarked to the Committee that knowledge was the best defense we could have. Alderman Sachetta observed that most citizens like him read the newspapers or watch TV and have a lot of fear on the shipment of LNG to Everett.
He stated that this is a problem for the United States and not just the City of Everett which could wind up costing the City million of dollars. He expressed concern that an attempt could be made to blow up the tanks on the Distrigas facility rather than the ships itself.
Councilor McKinnon invited Mr. McGough to address the Committee. Mr. McGough provided the members with an overview of City of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s opposition to the continued shipment of LNG through Boston Harbor to the Everett facility.
Mr. McGough stated that Mayor Menino realized that there was no overnight solution, but expressed his disappointment with the Coast Guards recent decision to continue the LNG shipments. He remarked that security alone was not the answer and that there needed to be a long term plan strategy to avoid the northeast being over reliant on a single facility. Councilor McKinnon suggested that all the communities in the area should work jointly together in order to accomplish a lot more.
Alderman McGonagle referenced previous discussions held on this same matter with various community representatives 9 years ago. He remarked that technology has changed since then and that there must be a way to keep the tankers out of the harbor. Councilor McKinnon asked the Mayor about the formation of a joint committee with other communities on the matter and the Mayor informed him that House Speaker DeLeo was handling the ball on this. Councilor Peter Napolitano asked Chief Butler if there was a plan for an emergency in that area. Chief Butler responded that there was for a catastrophic accident and that radiation studies had been done to determine areas of
evacuation.
The Chief noted that a presentation had been held several years ago at the Armory however only a few residents were in attendance. The Chief agreed to provide another presentation at a later date and agreed to get information out to residents in South Everett.
Councilor McKinnon questioned how much time would residents have to evacuate.
Chief Butler answered that there were so many factors it would be difficult to say. Councilor Gianelli informed the Committee that he has asked Distrigas for a simple notification on evacuation procedures but had not heard back from Distrigas as of yet. Chief Butler and Chief Mazzie provided the Committee with an overview of the blue and white lights throughout the community in relation to evacuation and emergency vehicle access.
Councilor McKinnon invited Mr. Gallagher to address the Committee. Mr. Gallagher announced that he represented 1500 Security Officers and noted that the security provided at Distrigas was done through a private security vendor. Mr. Gallagher acknowledged that the on site training for the Security Officers was good but expressed concern about the level of compensation for the risk and responsibilities was not adequate and there were discussions on collective bargaining.
Alderman McGonagle halted Mr. Gallagher’s presentation and noted that collective bargaining discussions was not appropriate for this forum. Councilor Peter Napolitano concurred and remarked that Mr. Gallagher currently did not represent the Distrigas Security officers and as such was not adding anything to discussion. Mayor DeMaria informed the Committee that the Global Risk Management company would also be evaluating the security at Distrigas. Chief Mazzie stated that he saw no problems with the security at Distrigas and informed the Committee that it takes him 20 minutes to enter facility after going through security checks even though they know
him.
Alderman Sachetta commented that this issue can’t be resolved tonight and that the City needed to have representatives of Distrigas and the Federal Government here. Mayor DeMaria responded that was what the City was doing now and reminded the Committee that he did meet with the elected officials and Homeland Security in Washington DC last week and that Senator Kerry and officials from Homeland Security would be here to provide an assessment next week. Councilman Peter Napolitano requested that the matter be laid over for one month in Committee to allow the Mayor and Police Chief to return to provide an update on the Global Risk assessment done in addition to having the Fire Chief provide a evacuation presentation to the Committee.
The Committee also requested that Senator John Kerry, Senator Scott Brown, Congressman Ed Markey, representatives of Homeland Security, Coast Guard, Distrigas and GDF Suez be invited to attend.
The Committee voted: To report back to the Common Council with a recommendation to grant further time for one month and to invite Mayor Carlo DeMaria, Police Chief Steve Mazzie, Fire Chief David Butler, Senator John Kerry, Senator Scott Brown, Congressman Ed Markey, representatives of Homeland Security, Coast Guard, Distrigas and GDF Suez to be invited to attend the next meeting on the subject matter.
Respectfully Submitted,
John W. Burley
Clerk of Committees
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Wildfire132
Member
31 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2010 : 09:02:24 AM
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Hello. I saw this on the City Web site.
#1 Public Safety Committee
March 23, 2010
The Committee on Public Safety met on Tuesday, March 23, 2010.
The meeting was audio and video taped for the record.
Members present were Aldermen Michael Marchese, presiding, Alderman Sal Sachetta, Councilors John McKinnon, Adam Ragucci, Peter Napolitano and Eloy Sierra. Non members present were Councilors Ken
Gianelli, Cynthia Sarnie and Rosemary Miller.
Members absent were Alderman Joseph McGonagle and Councilor William Cardello.
Communication received from Alderman Joseph McGonagle that he would be at work and unable to
attend.
The Committee considered a Resolution offered by Councilor John McKinnon: That the City form a plan to deal with off loading of ships at the LNG and Natural Gas Facilities in Everett to make sure that they are safe and pose no threat to Everett and the surrounding cities and towns.
Mayors Chief of Staff Melissa Murphy, Police Chief Steve Mazzie, Policeman Pat Johnson, Al Richman of Homeland Security, Frank Katulak, Carol Churchill and Joe Dalton of Distrigas/GDF Suez and Captain Healy of the Coast Guard were also present.
Communication received from Fire Chief David Butler that he would be on vacation and unable to attend.
Mr. Katulak introduced himself to the Committee as the President and Chief Operating Officer at Distrigas/GDF Suez. He provided the Committee with a slide show presentation on the operation of the
Distrigas facility as well as on the production and use of LNG throughout New England and the World. Mr. Katulak also discussed Distrigas’s commitment to safety and explained the safety/ security drills and inspections that are performed at the Everett facility. He stated that the company had invested over $200 million dollars into operation upgrades at Distrigas. Mr. Katulak discussed the new supply source from the Country of Yemen as well as the shipping companies that ship the product to the Everett facility. He
reviewed the security measures that took place upon the arrival process including the involvement of local and State Public Safety Officials including the US Coast Guard. He assured the Committee that Yemen Nationals were not part of the crew on the ships entering the Everett port. Mr. Katulak noted the company’s community involvement and announced that Distrigas pays approximately $4.9 million in taxes annually to the City of Everett as well as reimburses the City for public safety details in addition to
donating $1 million annually to local organizations.
Alderman Marchese asked if Distrigas had more storage capacity at the Everett site would it result in less
ships entering the Everett port. Mr. Katulak responded that it would not. Councilor Napolitano questioned if Distrigas had plans to unload offshore. Mr. Katulak responded that they would upon
commissioning of new ships, but indicated that it had a limited capacity and would only feed the Algonquin pipeline. He remarked that this was not a replacement for the Everett facility but a good
supplement. Upon further questioning from Councilor Napolitano, Mr. Katulak provided the Committee with an overview on the selection of the Everett site some 39 years ago. Councilor McKinnon questioned
the security presence during the LNG offloading and Mr. Katulak discussed the contingent of Public Safety Officials on site. Councilor McKinnon asked if there had been any incidents in the 39 year history of the Distrigas operation and Mr. Katulak explained that there were a few minor issues related to mechanical problems only. Councilor McKinnon questioned if more lighting was needed at the port and Mr. Katulak stated that the lighting at the facility met Federal requirements. Councilor McKinnon pointed out that the Ads that Distrigas had placed in the local newspapers were very informative and asked if Distrigas planned to do the same in other communities. Mr. Katulak answered that it was most
important for Distrigas to place the Ads in the City of Everett since the facility was located in Everett and at this time they had made no decision on placing Ads in other communities. Alderman Sachetta applauded Mr. Katulak for a wonderful job he did on his presentation noting that there was a lot of fear in the community with LNG and that he did a great job explaining to those viewing at home.
Mr. Richman informed the Committee that he had been involved with Homeland Security since 2005 and that they had conducted several assessments and extensive reviews on Distrigas, but informed the
Committee that these reports were classified. Captain Healy explained that the Coast Guard had quite a bit of interaction with the City of Everett especially in the working relationship with Officer Pat Johnson. Councilor McKinnon asked Captain Healy that based on a recent Admiral’s report did he feel staffing at the port was sufficient. Captain Healy assured him that he had enough manpower and resources and noted that the Coast Guard would be obtaining new boats. The Captain provided an overview of the safety
and security that was undertaken upon the arrival of an LNG tanker and he remarked that he feels very comfortable with the process otherwise he wouldn’t let the ships into port. Councilor McKinnon asked Ms. Murphy if the Mayor had any new update on contracting with an independent assessment company. Ms. Murphy stated that the City had received a proposal but at a cost of $146,000. Councilor McKinnon
asked Chief Mazzie if the City had any evacuation routes and the Chief responded that the routes were posted on the City’s website. Councilor McKinnon questioned if the City had an evacuation plan. Chief Mazzie stated that yes the City did have an evacuation plan and that a number of exercises have been performed and that they were constantly training and planning, but pointed out that the evacuation would be dependent on the actual incident. Officer Johnson provided an overview of the training received and
commented that the City of Everett was way ahead of the curve on emergency preparedness.
Councilor Napolitano informed the Committee that the reason he opposed this matter going into Committee was due to the fact that there has always been an emergency preparedness plan with regards to
Distrigas, which is not as the resolution indicated. He thanked the invited guests for attending. Councilor McKinnon countered that the reason the matter was in Committee was to get the information out to the public. The Committee recommended that the resolution be amended by striking out the reference “form a plan” and that the matter be referred to the Mayor with a request that he report back to City Government on his plans to contract and conduct a risk assessment at the Distrigas Facility. The Committee voted: To report back to the Common Council with a recommendation that the resolution
be amended by striking out the reference “form a plan” and that the matter be referred to the Mayor with a request that he report back to City Government on his plans to contract and conduct a risk assessment at the Distrigas Facility.
Respectfully Submitted,
John W. Burley
Clerk of Committees |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2011 : 4:06:39 PM
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#1 Public Safety Committee
March 1, 2011
The Committee on Public Safety met on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 6pm.
The meeting was audio and video taped for the record.
Members present were Alderman Millie Cardello, presiding, Councilors Adam Ragucci, Kenneth
Gianelli and Lorrie Bruno. Non members present were Councilors Peter Napolitano and Rosemary
Miller.
Members absent were Aldermen Michael Mangan, Sal Sachetta. Councilors John McKinnon and William
Cardello.
The Committee considered a Resolution offered by Councilor Peter Napolitano: That the Owner or a
Representative of Wood waste appear at the Public Safety Committee to explain source of the smells
emanating from the site on Boston Street throughout the summer, as well as, provide a detailed update on
the status of building an enclosed facility.
Health Director Heidi Porter, and representative of Woodwaste Attorney Anthony Rossi were also present.
Communication from City Solicitor Colleen Mejia that she would be unable to attend due an unexpected
emergency.
Attorney Rossi provided the Committee with an update on the Permitting process, Interim Operations and
Time tables for completion of the project. He noted that Mayor DeMaria sent a letter to MEPA supporting
the Notice of Project Change to expedite the construction of the new facility. He informed the Committee
that the MEPA comment period on the notice ends on April 12, 2011 and that he expected MEPA to issue
their findings on or about April 26, 2011. He stated that once Woodwaste receives approval from MEPA
it can proceed with DEP permitting so that construction can be completed well prior to the November 13,
2012 agreement date with the Attorney General. Councilor Napolitano questioned how long the new
structure would take to construct. Attorney Rossi responded that it would take 5 to 7 months to build and
that once that occurred the temporary structure would be knocked down. Councilor Napolitano
questioned the ventilation of the structure. Attorney Rossi explained that no grinding took place anymore
on site and that the product comes in and goes right back out on the same day. Councilor Napolitano
asked Ms. Porter if her Department had received any complaints on odors since the last meeting on the
subject matter. Ms. Porter explained that they had only received one complaint and that Woodwaste was
quick to respond. She noted that a third party was now conducting inspections of the site on a regular
basis.
The Committee voted: To report back to the Common Council with a recommendation that matter be
granted further time for 90 days until the month of June so that the Committee could obtain further
updates on the progress of the agreement with a request that all attendees be invited to that meeting.
Respectfully Submitted,
John W. Burley
Clerk of Committees |
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Linda M
Member
43 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2011 : 06:04:05 AM
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Did anyone see this meeting last night? So glad this snow mess got voted down, you go Chuck, Lorrie, and the rest who voted NO on it but, for Melissa's husband, he tried so hard to get into the law along with DJ and RV but the elders won this battle.
Good job guys. |
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Linda M
Member
43 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2011 : 06:10:24 AM
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RULES & ORDINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING
TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011, 6:00 P.M. (Live on ECTV Channel 16)
Held in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 484 Broadway, Third Floor, Everett,
Massachusetts 02149
MEMBERS: Alderman Chuck DiPerri-Chairman, Alderman Sal Sachetta, Alderman Michael
Mangan; Councilor David Rodrigues-Co-Chairman, Councilor William Cardello, Councilor
Cynthia Sarnie, Councilor Rosa DiFlorio and Councilor Lorrie Bruno
City Solicitor also invited.
Notices posted 4-5-11
AGENDA
1. A0222-10 Resolution/s/Alderman Robert J. Van Campen, as President
That the City Council, along with the Mayor, revisit the trash ordinances in
order to make certain that the ordinances are most beneficial to the city
and its residents. Invited: Sponsor.
2. A0035-11 Ordinance/s/Alderman Robert J. Van Campen and Councilor DJ
Napolitano-That the City of Everett enact an ordinance requiring vehicles
which are parked in a public way to be cleaned and moved within 48
hours from the end of a declared snow emergency. Invited: Sponsors
3. C0008-11 Order/s/Councilors David Rodrigues, Daniel Napolitano, Sergio
Cornelio and Alderman Robert Van Campen-That the ordinances of the
City of Everett be amended as necessary to require all homeowners and
business owners to clear all sidewalks and public walkways abutting their
respective properties following any snowfall. Invited: Sponsors.
4. C0057-11 Resolution/s/Councilors Adam Ragucci, David Rodrigues and
Leo McKinnon-That the Rules & Ordinances Committee review and make
recommendations on odd and even all night parking ordinance, c18, s143,
by changing to follow upcoming year on s (e). Invited: Sponsors.
Adjournment
Respectfully submitted,
Caroline McCorry
Everett City Council Office
cc: ECTV-Posting
Facil. Maint.
City Clerk-Website |
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PUBLIC SAFETY
