Ordinance could defray hazmat costs

Local News

Discussion

June 12, 2007

By CARRIE KIRSCHNER The Daily Independent Tue Jun 12, 2007, 12:07 AM EDT

CATLETTSBURG — Hazardous material incidents are becoming increasingly expensive for area public safety agencies to handle.

As more and more chemicals are labeled hazardous and costs for equipment and manpower increase, Boyd County agencies are looking for ways to help offset the burden.

This week the Boyd Fiscal Court approved the first reading of a Hazardous Materials Cost Recovery Ordinance at the urging of Ashland-Boyd County Office of Emergency Management.

The ordinance, according to director Matt Adkins, allows the agency to act as the official billing entity for all of Boyd County’s police, fire and emergency response agencies.

Emergency Management, he said, will have sole responsibility and statutory authority to hold parties responsible for paying hazmat incident costs. Emergency management will send one itemized bill for each incident and then distribute the appropriate funds back to each of the various agencies that responded.

Adkins said the ordinance will not be a revenue generator for the departments. Most departments will still lose money on the cleanups, but this act will help them to replace equipment needed for future incidents.

“With EPA regulations and all the requirements from OSHA ... hazardous materials response is just expensive,” Adkins said. The ordinance, “is all about getting back the actual cost. We plan to use those funds to put equipment back in the hands of the responders and make sure they have the training and everything they need to be safe.”

Cannonsburg Fire Department Chief Richard Cyrus praised the ordinance. Volunteer departments often don’t have the budget resources of paid departments and hazmat incidents can be create real burdens as the departments struggle to replace equipment and pay for training.

Cannonsburg, in particular, has been highly affected with hazmat incidents in recent years. A portion of Interstate I-64 is in its jurisdiction and the department is frequently called for hazmat incidents that occur on the busy cross-country thoroughfare.

Last year alone, Cyrus said, the department had to shut down the highway a total of five times between five and eight hours for hazmat incidents. He said most of the incidents involved household and industrial chemicals on transport trucks.

Those transport trucks are required to carry insurance in case of a spill and the ordinance will now provide the statutory authority to the county to bill those companies, Cyrus said.

Ashland Fire Chief David Sloan said although Ashland already has a similar ordinance in place that allows it to bill for recovery costs, he will be recommending Ashland adopt Emergency Management’s ordinance if it is presented to city leaders.

He said the ordinance, with its designated fee scale, is more comprehensive than Ashland’s, which is mostly subjective. Sloan said it will mostly help the smaller volunteer departments anyway.

“They have been hammered here in the last couple of years. It has gotten worse on I-64. We have more accidents in the city but the speed limits are lower,” he said, which contributes to fewer messy cleanups.

Adkins said the ordinance also contains language to help the county hold negligible and malicious parties responsible for causing hazmat incidents.

The Boyd Fiscal Court is expected to have a second reading and enactment of the ordinance at its next meeting June 19.

CARRIE KIRSCHNER can be reach at ckirschner@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.

Text Only

Local News

Search for new ACTC president to begin soon
A national search will begin soon to replace Ashland Community and Technical College President Gregory D. Adkins, who is retiring.

February 8, 2012
Red Tails recommended
With sincere appreciation to their hosts, local military veterans whose service spanned World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan gathered at Kyova 10 Theatre late Tuesday afternoon for a screening of the film “Red Tails.”

February 8, 2012
More updates coming to Boyd jail
While a nonfunctional fire alarm system has been fixed, the Boyd County Detention Center is now dealing with problems in another of its security systems.

February 8, 2012
APD probes early morning stabbing
Ashland police are investigating a stabbing in the area of 30th Street and Greenup Avenue early Tuesday morning.

February 7, 2012
Local briefs: 2/8/12
A Carter County man was killed Monday in an all-terrain vehicle accident.

February 7, 2012
3 indicted in grave-marker thefts
A Carter County grand jury has indicted three in connection with the December theft of metal markers from the graves of World War II veterans.

February 7, 2012
Boyd to save money with refinancing
The Boyd County Fiscal Court is planning to save money by refinancing a bond issued for work on the county’s jail and sewer system.

February 7, 2012
White-nose syndrome found in more Kentucky caves
The mysterious and deadly disease that has been killing bats for several years in the United States has reached more caves in Kentucky.

February 7, 2012
A haunted hunt for a hidden hundred
On the heels of a tremendously popular effort in Louisa, “the Scare Crew” from the Fallsburg Haunted House will begin its next Haunted Hunt for Cash in Ashland this week, starting with a clue on the organization’s Facebook page.

February 7, 2012
Minton asks for additional funding
With several circuit clerks seated behind him, Kentucky’s Chief Justice of the Supreme Court told a legislative budget subcommittee Tuesday the court system can’t retain entry-level employees because as soon as they are trained they’re hired away by the executive branch.

February 7, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Discussion

Ordinance could defray hazmat costs

Site Map

Contact Us