| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
|
|
tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2008 : 11:15:33 AM
|
| Read the chief's quote carefully. Does anybody proofread this stuff? Let's see if this gets printed in the papers verbatim. |
 |
|
|
Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
 Posted - 09/29/2008 : 12:31:26 PM
|
Ari from Newburyport, who is a phenomenal writer, has a great article on Community Policing and Segway Scooters. I'm all for Community Policing again, and the scooters are not a bad idea. I think it could help in all ways.
You must be logged in to see this link. |
|
|
|
Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2010 : 7:53:53 PM
|
Public Safety Meeting - LNG Tankers
Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: City Hall Council Chambers
As a point of information:
MIT Professor James A. Fay conducted a study after September 11th on SPILLS AND FIRES FROM LNG OIL TANKERS AND FIRES.
"The fire that would ensue from a boat bomb attack on a tanker would be of unprecedented size and intensity. Like the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, there exists no relevant industrial experience with fires of this scale from which to project measures for securing public safety."
For a full copy of the study available: You must be logged in to see this link.
Friday, 2/5/10 - (NECN: Scot Yount, Everett, Mass.)
Coast Guard reviews LNG shipments in wake of attempted attack
You must be logged in to see this link.
- A tanker of liquefied natural gas at port in Everett, Massachusetts. In the wake of 9/11, this very ship the Matthew, was denied entry to the port of Boston because it was deemed too dangerous, the threat of a terrorist attack too large. Now, the Coast Guard is again reviewing tanker security as shipments from Yemen are scheduled to arrive in February. The suspect in the Detroit attempted attack says he trained with Al Qaida in Yemen. The Coast Guard says it won't rush the proposal. The ultimate decision rests with the Coast Guard Commander.
Concerns over LNG tankers in metropolitan areas is nothing new. In fact, studies have shown an explosion here could affect people up to 3/4s of a mile away. James Fay is a Professor Emeritus at MIT and a proponent of offshore terminals for LNG tankers. He says natural gas is quite plentiful. There is no reason to bring in tankers from Yemen and blames decades old procedures. |
|
|
|
massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2010 : 8:01:46 PM
|
Will this meeting be televised?
"Peek-a-Boo, I see you" |
|
|
|
Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2010 : 8:31:48 PM
|
Both the LNG Safety Meeting and the Wood Waste Public Service Meeting should be televised with no questions asked. Both these meeting are detrimental and are of the utmost importance.
There are many residents that can not make these meetings for work conflicts, physically unable or whatever and would welcome the opportunity to watch from their own homes either live, or on another day. If anything gets televised, those two meetings should take priority. |
|
|
|
massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2010 : 6:10:51 PM
|
The Safety meeting is being televised live.
"Peek-a-Boo, I see you" |
|
|
|
massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2010 : 7:56:01 PM
|
I really appreciated this meeting being televised. It was good to know they are trying to look out for the residents. I look forward to the next meeting. I hope they continue to televise them.
"Peek-a-Boo, I see you" |
|
|
|
Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2010 : 8:43:15 PM
|
This is solely my opinion, but after attending that meeting, I found it disturbing. I'm glad they are televised because I'm not going anymore, it's too aggravating. First and foremost we have an Alderman (Sachetta) who does not know which way is up. Maybe it’s his age, but he’s not helping anyone by just taking space. To be so arrogant and say "they were not accomplishing anything by having the meeting" was out of line.
How about informing the public, or is he’s just so damn grouchy that he just doesn’t care about the public? If he was that uninterested and had nothing to add, he should have stayed home and remove himself from that committee. He also gave away every security measure they take. That was not too bright.
Although I understood that it was not the time or place to discuss union contracts and compensation, the union representative was right, and it all factors in to safety at LNG. Do we want the average Joe security guards making $10.00 an hour...... guarding these ships (that have the potential of a terrorist nut stowed on board) or highly trained professionals guarding them?
I’m not putting the security down……I just feel it's WAY out of their league, and I also feel that the "way" that the union representative went about it was wrong. The bottom line is we are talking about the security of THOUSANDS of people. I’m sorry.....but I think Distrigas can tighten up a little and get some additional/professional help and they can foot the bill too, because they are making a pretty penny with this new 20 year deal.
If anyone does not believe that Distrigas is a target to these terrorist groups, they are sadly mistaken.
Again, just my opinion but I was not impressed with the two chiefs either. Maybe it's too much for them but they didnt say anything that made me feel any safer about any plans, or anything. Butler basically said the last time they talked about a plan was 2002 or 2003.
As for the mayor, can he ever attend a meeting, especially one that’s so important, like the security of the city, without texting? Was someone telling him what to say, because that’s what it sure seemed like! I appreciate that he went to Washington looking for funding, but right now the ship is on it's way, and the residents need to know what to do in the event (however small)that there is some terrorist nut on board.
I still want to know what the plan is in the event (again....unlikely, but possible) of a catastrophe what was the both chiefs plans were and all I heard was a whole lotta nuttin. I wanted to know if anyone of the Yemen crew can just walk off the ship. I think that’s very important to know and that’s a big reason why the shipment should be delivered off shore.
|
|
|
|
formally from everett
Member
7 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2010 : 9:00:35 PM
|
| Those meetings are wasted time they all like to hear each other talk. Nothing will change and pray for the best. Will this be put on ectvonline for those out of everett or have the dish? |
|
|
|
tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2010 : 12:39:27 AM
|
| I watched most of the replay of the Public Safety Committee meeting (if the replay started at 11:00 PM), but I missed most of what I assumed were some opening comments from the Mayor. Can anyone fill us on the details of the study that is being done next week? As always, I'm interested in how much it's going to cost and how it's going to be paid for. But those are probably of a lesser concern this time around than the actual scope and issues to be addressed in the study. |
|
|
|
tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2010 : 11:32:53 PM
|
I watched a replay of the Public Safety Committee meeting tonight and I guess I really hadn't missed all that much of it the first time I saw it. While I didn't feel what I saw tonight totally answered my questions, on a second viewing, I'm not really sure that it should have. Where security issues are concerned, I'm of the opinion that it's probably the right thing to do to leave the general public somewhat in the dark as long as we get a strong feeling that someone is looking out for our best interests. I feel pretty good about that in this particular instance.
The one thing that I would have liked to have known though about the infrastructure improvement that the Mayor was addressing was if they were something that was only needed because of the type of businesses that are down in the Island End area or if they were something else. If they are things that are needed just because of the types of businesses that exist there, why aren't the businesses picking up a least a part, if not all, of the tab?
For example, when the new apartment/condo complex got built in the Revere quarry, the developer built a new fire house that contains sub-stations for both Malden and Revere. Yes, the businesses in the Island End area have been there for a long time but why can't they be asked to pony up when conditions change? Grant money is an easy answer. It certainly exists and as long as it does, Everett ought to get its fair share of it. But when the word “lobbyists” comes up, my stomach turns. And is grant money really free? It comes from somewhere. If not from you and me, then from our descendents.
To be honest, I haven't known what to exactly what to make out of this whole issue of LNG tanker deliveries. There's too much conflicting info out there about the tankers and LNG for me to know what's really what. Ultimately, I'd like to see off-shore deliveries but I believe that would come with its own set of issues, i.e., how do you make sure on a 24/7 basis that a pipeline isn't compromised by a terrorist attack?
Personally, for now, I think that tanker deliveries are made a big enough issue of and receive at least adequate attention that they are probably not going to be the focus of a terrorist attack. You can never let your guard down though. I think that terrorists would be more likely to look for a weaker link. I agree with the Mayor that the bigger issue may well be the safety of those facilities at times other than when there is added security there for deliveries.
And I'm going to disagree a little bit with Tails about Alderman Sachetta. I would have been upset too. Other than the Mayor and the two Chiefs, I thought that the choice of speakers to testify at the meeting was more than a little unusual. An “expert” to support (I guess) a paper written by a local professor. Why not the professor? The last time this “expert” testified before the Common Council, it was on the roto-virus. Next, someone that if you listened to his introduction, you would have thought he was from Homeland Security. He is actually the Director of the City of Boston's Office of Emergency Preparedness. I think that we all know how Mayor Menino feels about the LNG tankers. And someone who I guess was a union organizer trying to organize the security guards that work at Distrigas.
Alderman Sachetta wasn't the only one to express his displeasure. Both Alderman McGonagle and Councilor Peter Napolitano did in varying degrees as well. Those that expressed it angrily though probably expressed it to the wrong person. I'm not sure what Councilor McKinnon was thinking. As Councilor Napolitano pointed out, to have an effective discussion, all parties need to be represented equally. Let's hope that happens the next time. |
Edited by - tetris on 02/10/2010 11:38:41 PM |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Safety Meeting
