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Safety supes endorse reverse 911

The Public Safety Committee of the Columbia County Supervisors forwarded a resolution to the full Board tonight which recommends that the County contract with Code Red, a commercial vendor of reverse 911 services. A link to how one Texas county has implemented Code Red can be found here.

The recommendation was based upon a review by Lieutenant County Sheriff Thomas (Tom) Lanphear, and will be voted upon at a special meeting on Monday at 6:30 called by Board Chair Pat Grattan. The Safety committee session tonight was rescheduled from its usual monthly time because of last Thursday’s community meeting at the West Ghent Fire House to discuss the recent inferno at TCI of NY, a PCB waste processor.

This time, nowhere near the 300 people who turned out for last week’s meeting in Ghent were present at 401 State Street in Hudson—though not for a lack of public interest, but for a lack of public awareness. (Interestingly, three Albany network TV stations evidently were well aware of it, arriving early and eagerly interviewing attendees about their impressions.)

The committee is chaired by Supervisor Roy Brown, and includes Board members McDonald, Bassin, Hughes, Murrell, Nayer and Porreca. Several other County supervisors were in attendance, including Ellen Thurston and Sarah Sterling from Hudson, and Claverack’s Robin Andrews—the lone County supervisor to attend last Thursday’s packed meeting in Ghent.

Considering what transpired later, the meeting started on a peculiar note, with Commitee Chair Brown stating that “We’re not having any sort of a TCI review [or] update tonight.” In spite of this statement, neither the audience nor the TV crews budged, and their patience was soon rewarded with a lengthy discussion of the TCI fire and what to do about any future emergencies of this scale.

Fire coordinator Don Howe began by noting that there had been roughly a dozen official meetings about the TCI fire.

Supervisor William (Billy) Hughes of Hudson chimed in with several relatively innocuous questions about the TCI fire, including “who we had knocking on doors” to alert residents while a separate crime investigation was in progress.

County Sheriff Harrison noted that State Police were assigned to help alert close neighbors of the fire, but that “the decision was made to have some people stay in their houses” given that a search for five home invaders was ongoing nearby.

A County Emergency Management official indicated that the County would be conducting an internal “critique” for the Committee on how manpower was assigned during these concurrent emergencies, and recommending commendations for several people “who are not county employees but are affiliated with other agencies.”

Hughes attempted to quiz County officials about why Massachusetts conducted dioxin testing, but New York State did not, asking “How come we didn't?”

Harrison responded that on “the night of the fire, before I even left my house, I called the State because I knew they were part of our LEPC [emergency planning protocols]. I knew that the materials inside would warrant a State response. I requested that the State Office of Emergency Management respond… We had the Regional Director and the Director for the whole state on the scene within an hour. I requested Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health assistance, as well as the County DOH. In a nutshell, we really asked the experts on what we should be sampling for, how it should be done, and the frequency we should be sampling.” But Harrison also conceded to Hughes that “I know that is not really what you‘re looking for.”

Seeking clarification, Hughes asked if the decision to not sample for dioxin was the State’s call. Harrison indicated that “We requested the PCB sampling, and additional testing for PCBs, and for dioxin. They took that back and decided they didn't need to do it.” But he added that “Based on last week's meeting” (in West Ghent) “I believe the State is reevaluating that decision.”

Hughes then asked “what should our agriculture do as a result” of the fire, referring to “the crops and things... Should those things be disposed of?” Hughes said he had heard “contradictory” stories that pollutants “can be washed off and eaten,” or not. William (Bill) Black of the County Emergency Managemnt office referred Hughes to information “put out in writing” and “on the [State] DOH website on what to do,” adding that while “I don’t have that information at my fingertips, we have to rely on what Ag & Markets has provided.”

Greenport Supervisor John Porreca sought to widen the conversation by urging that “We need to look at all of Columbia County” in terms of what various businesses have on site in terms of hazardous materials. Porreca argued that such inventories should be computerized, “so that they are at our fingertips whenever [firefighters] go to a site.”

Black agreed, but added that while “companies have to report by Federal law, there are no teeth in the law. A facility could be right here in Hudson—I could see the propane tanks, the anhydrous ammonia, and tell them they have to report it—but there's nothing I can do to make them.” Black cited the Federal Right to Know Law requiring companies which store or handle hazardous materials to report what they have, if they “have reportable quantities” but again noted that “I can't enforce it, the Sherriff can't enforce it, the State Police can't enforce it... It's an old law that needs to be updated.” Porreca added that employees deserve to have access to such information as well.

Talk then turned to the availabilty of foam trucks, with Hughes speculating that companies which may need require large amounts of foam to control a fire at their facilities ought to foot the bill for that capability. Black jumped in to say that in the TCI fire, “We never ran out of foam. We had enough foam. The County has 300-gallons of foam storage, which when mixed at 3%, that's 29,000 gallons.” Black said that “in addition to what Stratton Air Force Base brought” to the TCI scene, “That was able to put out what we needed to.” But the availability of foam proved to be something of a non-issue, Black indicated, because “At the height of the fire, it wasn't feasible [to] get close enough to use it.”

Brown then turned the conversation to what he termed “some misinformation out there that they [the Emergency Management folks] blew it... They didn't blow it,” Brown argued, saying that if anything blame for the way the TCI inferno was handled should fall on political leaders. “We Supervisors didn't provide them with the tools to do their job. They did what they could, within their powers. Had we given them the tools, nobody would have pointed the fingers at them.”

Several supervisors chimed in at this point to say that the first responders should be thanked, and the County Board should be the ones saying “we blew it.” Hughes said: “I think everybody on the board should say it.”

The discussion now turned to the details of how Columbia County should institute a reverse 911 or other emergency notification service to cover future emergences. Lieutenant Lamphear then handled the bulk of the remaining questions, having spent a great deal of the past 20 days researching the County’s options along with his colleague Rob Lopez. A certain amount of media embarrassment has resulted from the fact that Rensselaer and Berkshire County managed to notify thousands of downwind neighbors of the need to stay inside, close windows, and turn off air conditioners, but Columbia County did not, and the Committee seemed anxious to get the County up to speed.

Much of the remaining discussion revolved around the pros and cons of NYAlert.com, a free online emergency system maintained by the State, versus various commercial alternatives. Lanphear noted several times that NYAlert’s protocols “can be cumbersome,” especially in terms of data entry, as well as confusing to less technically-oriented users.

Stockport Supervisor Matt Murrell urged that any system be “user friendly,” and embrace people “without computers or cell phones.” Murrell said that “ I can't tell you how many people in my town have said they don't have a computer, they don't watch TV, they don't read the papers, or they don't listen to the radio.”

Concerning fees and staff time, another Supervisor (who was both hard to identify and to hear, since half the Committee had its back to the audience and none of the available microphones were being employed) argued that “Something as important as this should not be guided by cost.” Andrews quizzed Lanphear about mapping options to ensure that correct addresses be on file in a County where ZIP codes often don’t correspond town names, and he said that Code Red can handle that task better than NYAlerts.

Lanphear ultimately recommended that the Supervisors go with a commercial service called Code Red, as it is less complicated to set up, has 24/7/365 staffing, offers immediate feedback and action, and already has 29,000 landline phone numbers of Columbia County residents in its database. Residents who want to offer their cell phones, VOIP lines, or alternative numbers also would be able to do so with Code Red. He also noted that since it is a no-cost, State-run service, the County could continue also to work with NYAlerts as a secondary, back-up notification system while using Code Red as its primary means of getting the word out about major emergencies. Lanphear noted that in the case of Hurricane Irene, Code Red was able to get a system up for White Plains “in an hour.” He advised that the system should be used sparingly, saying that “we don't want the public to be inundated with calls. This would be for states of emergency and major fires... We're not going to be sending out that there's a house fire, except maybe in that small area.”

Some discussion occurred about outreach to State legislators and Federal representatives about grant opportunities and other funding to defray the cost, but it was again affirmed that cost should not be an object in this case.

Supervisor Brown then called for a motion to recommend that the full Board authorize Columbia County 911 “to purchase and implement a system for emergency notifications,” and to “establish policies and procedures” based on the research and recommendations of Lanphear and Black. The motion carried unanimously, considering “the magnitude of this,” with the recommendation to be voted on per Grattan’s suggestion at a full, special Board next Monday. The hope was expressed that this could be moved forward in time to promote the availability of a new reverse 911 service at the upcoming Columbia County Fair.

The meeting then adjourned, with the Albany TV crews descending en masse to interview audience members—whose presence was not acknowledged during the meeting, and who were not invited to speak or ask questions. Reports by YNN, WTEN (10) and WNYT (13) are here, here and here.

Good afternoon, Starshine

A reflection on pavement from an auto tire, spotted near Union Street in Hudson (NY).

South Bay is now “Significant”

The Valley Alliance has broken the news that Hudson’s South Bay was designated a Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat by the State, as long hoped for by hundreds of residents. Details are at the VA’s site.

Cancer expert discusses health risks of burning PCBs

 

In the 15-minute video above, renowned cancer expert Dr. Mitchell L. Gaynor discusses the science and health risks associated with the burning of PCBs. 

Speaking at his Columbia County home, Dr. Gaynor first reviews the fundamentals of environmental carcinogenesis: how environmental exposures contribute to cancer. He then discusses how the uncontrolled incineration of PCBs leads to the formation of even more toxic dioxins and furans.

The former Medical Director at the Weill-Cornell Medical Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Gaynor proceeds to explain why he has found the official reassurances and limited testing done to assess the risks of TCI of NY’s recent inferno in Ghent to be inadequate thus far.

The founder and president of Gaynor Integrative Oncology, Dr. Gaynor’s extensive resumé includes four books, and countless appearances in national media, from Good Morning America to Martha Stewart to Newsweek. He has also published numerous “studies on oncology and the effects of environmental toxins on health in peer review journals such as The American Journal of Clinical Oncology and The Proceedings of the American Society for Clinical Oncology.

He has been honored for his environmental advocacy by  the New York State Assembly—whose Committee on Environmental Conservation oversees the work of some of the officials responsible for the testing which is called into question in this video.

Radical leftist newspaper covers TCI fire

Ralph Gardner, Jr., who has house near Ghent, has an excellent column today in that notorious left-wing publication, The Wall Street Journal, about the August 1st TCI inferno.

In his usual fluid and droll prose, Ralph likens the official reassurances about the TCI fire to those issued by EPA and NYC after 9/11—and also to the plot of a Don Delillo novel (such as White Noise, whose Airborne Toxic Event many immediately thought of when the PCB handler’s plant exploded).

Meanwhile, The Albany Times Union’s James Odato reports that EPA in Massachusetts performed some of the testing across the Berkshire County line that New York State officials have been refusing to do here in Columbia County.

NYS DEC spokesperson Charsleissa King even goes so far as to suggest that samples taken in the Berkshires are adequate justification for not doing the same in the neighborhood of the fire.

Perhaps Ms. King needs to be reminded that this inferno took place in Ghent, New York, not Pittsfield, Massachusetts... Or that National Weather data shows thawinds were less than 1 mph from the start of the fire around 10 pm until dawn, meaning that the most intense impacts would likely occur locally, not across the border.

This makes it all the more eyebrow-raising that Berkshire and Rensselaer counties got timely notifications to close their windows, turn off air conditioners, and stay inside, while Columbians did not. (Maybe that name has DEC thinking we’re a Third World country?)

More likely, the State just doesn't want to know, and doesn't want to spend the money to test properly—even when they can charge it back to TCI... or especially when they can do so. DEC Region 4 has consistently been protective of corporate interests in our region for the past few decades, regularly taking the side of mining interests, coal-burners, tire-burners, and now waste handlers.

Firefighter speaks out about TCI

In the wake of August 1st’s inferno at TCI of NY, longtime Churchtown firefighter Nathan Chess has circulated the following email message, which is reproduced below by permission.

Chess writes that “it is with great trepidation that I push the send key with this message, but the mushrooming of this situation appears to be getting worse. And I care too much for my brother and sister responders to hold back any more.” He expresses his ongoing concerns about the health and safety of his fellow First Responders, noting that “We were only minutes away from bagpipes and flag-draped coffins.”

PCB testing is only part of the picture. What about tests for dioxins and furans—which on a toxicity level make PCBs look like lemonade?

From a cursory review of PCB incineration, the temperatures required are in the range 1000ºC with a extremely technical process to insure the complete breakdown of the PCBs without the subsequent creation of dioxins (a/k/a Agent Orange) and other highly toxic substances, I admit that my research is based on a quick skim of of highly technical information. But I am sure there are others within our community that are better educated on these procedures.

Additionally, as of this date it appears that no baseline testing have been done on the responders, command personal, EMS and other who where in close proximity to both the fire and plume for close to three hours. Thankfully, the majority of responders (including myself) were kept at what appears to be a safe distance from the incident. But as we have learned the hard way in such situations, distance does not ensure safety.

From my understanding this testing and comparison work would fall under the purview of the New York State Occupational Health Clinic Network, but I have seen no mention of any actions taken. No doubt it would also be their responsibility to have an ongoing procedure to monitor the workers currently involved in any remediation work.

And where is the Town of Ghent? [There’s] lots of praise for the bravery of the first responders, but sorry to be crude but action talks and we know what walks. It's good to see that one of the supervisors had the time to update his Facebook page with a posting that truly dealt with the ongoing situation—not!

And while I am on this point, it is only based on sheer luck that a serious loss of life was avoided. It was only based on basic “off the cuff” comment by the company’s “keyholder” that the responding units were advised that there was a substantial amount of solid sodium stored in the plant. This chemical is used as part of alternative treatment of low level PCB (< than 50ppm). But when exposed it creates an exothermic reaction and produces hydrogen gas (i.e.: Kaboom!)

We were only minutes away from bagpipes and flag-draped coffins.

I would also like to make perfectly clear that these comments and opinions are strictly my own and in no way represent my fire company or that any commanders, coordinators, supervisors and the many brave and dedicated responders, members, dispatchers, law enforcement, EMS and others who whose participation and selflessness make the Columbia County emergency services organization one of the best...

I have always taken great pride and satisfaction from my work with all of these individuals and organisations in the state and on par with any in the country.

But I feel it is my responsibility to express my beliefs, perceptions and and reactions to this event. Whatever the consequences, if it saves one life or prevents any injuries, it will be well worth it.  

NATHAN CHESS
1st Lieutenant
Churchtown Fire Company

 

How the Basilica came to be

NOTE: This summary of the Americlean controversy was written about ten years ago as background for a (successful) nonprofit grant application. Citizens who were involved in the fight to stop Hudson’s old glue factory—what is now the Basilica—included Philip Alvaré, Jennifer and Kim Arenskjold, Carole Clark, Jack Harrell, Peter Jung, Peter Meyer, Sara Sterling, myself and many others, including some no longer in Hudson (such as Byrne Fone and Edward Gomez).

 
During a four-month controversy in 1999, local residents discovered the importance of face-to-face grassroots organizing, diligent research, media exposure, sustained public pressure, and savvy use of the internet for making change at the regional level.

As a result, a unique relic of the Valley’s industrial architecture was spared from becoming a sketchy toxic waste center, and instead preserved to become Basilica Hudson—arguably the most dynamic art and performance center in this stretch of the Hudson River.

Below is a detailed review of those four hectic months, explaining how citizens prevailed against long odds to protect their quality of life and preserve a prime  opportunity for more positive development.

 

In the waning days of 1998, some residents of the City of Hudson, New York, spotted an obscure legal notice in our local paper.

The bland notice indicated that Hudson and Columbia County intended to apply jointly for $600,000 in grant funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Canal Corridor program to attract “a business”—the name was unspecified—to the City’s waterfront. I said there would be an informational meeting about the application in early January.

As is all too typical of such meetings, this one was scheduled inconveniently on a weekday, during work hours, a time calculated to draw as few audience members as possible. But much to officials’ surprise and dismay, several residents did attend.

After a lot of hemming and hawing, the County development agency was finally convinced that residents deserved to know the name of this mysterious “business” which would benefit from a $600,000 in Federal largesse.

“I think it’s called ‘Americlean,’” he said. About the nature of Americlean’s business, he was similarly vague: “Something to do with supplies for the dry cleaning industry—wire hangers, polybags, that kind of thing.” After further grilling, citizens determined that the proposed site would be an imposing brick building, a former glue factory, adjoining  the wetlands of South Bay and a stone’s throw from the Hudson River.

Alarmed by the obvious evasiveness, citizens went home to look up Americlean on the web—a relatively novel task for many in the late ’90s.

 

 

It was soon learned that the main business of Americlean (a Canadian company, despite its name) actually involved shipping and “processing” huge quantities of a hazardous waste generated by the dry cleaning industry: a chemical called perchloroethylene.

Thanks to a relatively new search tool called Google, residents then figured out that “perc” is one of the more carcinogenic substances known to man. Once considered a miracle substance, many places such as New York City had begun to ban perc’s use altogether as a health risk to dry cleaning workers and their neighbors.

Americlean’s website claimed to have a miraculous, patent-pending process which would allow the company to recycle perc safely, then resell it to the drying cleaning industry with relatively little leftover waste product. The company claimed to have a pilot plant in Canada that had successfully tested this process.

When we brought this new information to the attention of our local Common Council, its members professed to be both unaware and unconcerned by Americlean’s real intentions. So what if they were hauling and processing hazardous waste, instead of making coat hangers—they were eager to believe the company’s claims of creating 100 well-paid jobs for local workers. Besides, the deadline for applying for the grant was rapidly approaching, and if Hudson didn’t submit something, the funding would be lost. So the Council hurriedly voted in favor of applying to HUD.

In other words: City and County leaders actually wanted the Feds to pay a little-known and even less-tested Canadian company $600,000 to to truck hazardous waste through local neighborhoods, down to the Hudson River, when an unspecified process would be used to neutralize it.

“You people have no idea how much toxic waste already goes through Hudson,” lectured then-Mayor Rick Scalera, as if this would reassure his listeners.

Those who questioned the wisdom of the Americlean plan were subjected to all manner of personal attacks from public officials, from public meetings to the pages of the local newspaper. One woman took the initiative to call Americlean’s president directly, hoping to learn more about his plans—then found herself falsely accused of  “impersonating a Common Council member” as elected officials rushed to discredit her unflattering account of the conversation.

In an apparent reference to the sexual preferences of a few of those speaking out against the project, 5th Ward Alderman Bob “Doc” Donahue read a prepared speech in which he insinuated that “these people speaking out don’t have children, they only have pets.”

Weeks of verbal sparring in newspaper articles, public meetings and letters to the editor ensued. It became obvious that the politicians wanted to make this an us vs. them issue, and the local paper was all too happy to help pit neighbor against neighbor.

A major turning point came when challengers of the hazardous waste plant shamed the Mayor into holding a public hearing in which the company would present its plans, and residents would have a chance to question Americlean in person. Up to that point, none of the company’s executives had ever appeared publicly in town.

In preparation for the big hearing, challengers raised $800 to take out a half-page ad in our local newspaper to increase awareness of the event. Even this caused a new controversy, as The Register-Star’s publisher decided to preview the citizens’ planned back-page ad for Americlean in advance of its publication. The paper also ran a front page story the same day featuring the company’s one-sided rebuttal, in an apparent attempt to blunt the ad’s impact.

Undeterred, residents followed up with a one-page insert in the paper (see For the Record, below). This contrasted Americlean’s own claims with contradictory evidence to the contrary found in mainstream publications and scientific research reports.

More crucially, citizens made three key decisions:

(1) Going door-to-door in their neighborhoods with flyers about the hazardous waste proposal; 

(2) Garnering coverage by the area’s local television stations, bringing a broad range of residents together to be interviewed; and

(3) Meeting privately to review research and stategy, drawing up a list of questions to be raised, and parcelled out among those who would attend.

Previous to these three actions, there was a surprisingly low awareness of the controversy, despite its being the subject of numerous newspaper articles. Going door to door, citizen activists discovered that even most residents living within 300 yards of the proposed toxic waste plant had never heard about it. Exposure on area television also greatly increased awareness among those who hadn’t  been attending meetings or following the bitter debate in the papers.

Detailed research about the company, its plans, its technological claims, and track record were boiled down to a list of important questions and revelations to be delivered at the hearing. The process of sharing information about the company, its technology, and the associated health concern was greatly expedited by the (then-novel) internet. Corporate, scientific and regulatory information once hidden in obscure libraries and agency files was readily available to anyone with a computer. A net-savvy new resident set up Hudson’s first “list-serv,” an automated email discussion list. This allowed conversations and debates which might have taken weeks to arrange were condensed into a matter of hours.

Operating as a combination early warning system, round-the-clock roundtable and independent research institute, this email list helped residents to discuss new developments, share research, refine strategy, and mobilize members on a moment’s notice for a public meeting or media opportunity.

 

 

Hoping to create an impression of public apathy about the proposal, the powers that be chose a huge auditorium for the hearing, located as far as possible from the proposed toxic waste site without quite leaving town... Officials expected that many would not bother to make the trip, and even if they did the room would look empty.

But much to the Mayor’s obvious annoyance, citizen grassroots organizing resulted in a full hall, packed by a diverse array of local residents from many different walks of life. The company’s representative, Brett Walker, came across as smug, overdressed, overcoiffed and stunningly unprepared for question after painstakingly-researched question. In many ways the audience seemed to know more about perc processing than Walker.

One resident brought along a chemist and safety consultant for labor unions to testify—to devastating effect, as Americlean’s glib spokesman could not answer her direct, technical questions. Walker professed not even to be able to remember where his company’s much-touted “pilot plant” was located, furthering the growing impression that the project was a sham. Many started to believe that Americlean’s real agenda was to take the $600,000 grant, and get paid to accept waste that would wind up in Hudson’s wetlands, or river, or get incinerated in the St. Lawrence Cement proposal, which had just been announced just up the hill in Greenport.

Especially effective were the parents, health care professionals, and lifelong residents who had been reached through our door-to-door outreach. Many spoke out forcefully against the project—debunking the official spin that only “outsiders” were opposed to it. A statement by City of Hudson consultant Bill Loewenstein that the Hudson waterfront was always an industrial wasteland was met with hoots and groans.

By the end of the hearing, even those who had gone in supporting the project left with about the hazardous waste plant. “I was trying to help you out here,” said one exasperated company supporter, who Walker did not recognize as an ally and treated shabbily. The lone exception may have been Mayor Scalera, who complained at the meeting’s conclusion that he had “never been so embarrassed by the behavior” of Hudson residents—who had just saved him from making a catastrophic blunder in welcoming what had just been exposed as a sloppy, fly-by-night development partner.

Over the coming weeks, citizens kept up a drumbeat of letters to the editor, television appearances, and pressure at Council meetings. Finally in mid-April, the headline broke in our local paper: The City had delivered the bad news to the company that the Hudson did not want them to truck any hazardous waste into the City, and would only welcome them if they limited their activity to the original hangers-and-polybags line. Americlean withdrew its proposal in short order, and was never heard from again in Hudson.

 

 

Soon enough, the former glue factory found a healthier, more forward-looking purpose, when a developer and restoration expert from Florida purchased it to found an arts center. While that developer ran into obstacles from embittered City leaders (who denied him access to water and sewer services), a second set of developers bought the building and managed to overcome those political obstacles.

Today, the factory complex has been impressively renovated, operating as Basilica Hudson. It features a year-round schedule of exhibitions, performances and festivals, as well as hosting weddings and charity galas. Rather than a dumping ground for toxic waste, “The Basilica” serves as a venue for both local projects and businesses, and internationally-acclaimed artists and groups.

Broadcast news

Below is a compilation of various television segments about last Thursday night’s community meeting about the TCI fire in Ghent.

• From Ann Hughes and Julie Tremmel at FOX 23:

 

• A lengthier report from Erin Vannella at Capital News 9 and YNN.

• A top story Thursday night from Robert Boyd at News 10/ABC.

• A radio report from Dave Lucas at WAMC.

• The New York Times has also now filed a follow-up story (having previously carried the Associated Press report of the original fire) by Mireya Navarro entitled, “Electronics Recycling Fire Unnerves a N.Y. Town”.

Report: Cross granted bail due to SNAFU

Cross and Mussmann blow kazoos at City Hall in Winter 2012

According to a newscast this evening from CBS6 in Albany, former Hudson Alderman Quintin Cross has been granted the opportunity to post $15,000 cash bail and $30,000 bond, in relation to charges that he and and an accomplice burgled City Hall last March.

This development comes, according to the station’s interview with District Attorney Paul Czajka, after the Hudson Police Department failed to provide his office with evidence requested by Cross's defense attorney Susan Tipograph—making it impossible for the D.A.’s office to comply, Czajka says. As a result, he evidently felt he could not contest the bail request. It is not yet clear if Cross has managed to post that bail, though local rumors are rampant that a political ally has done so for both accused men.

The report further notes that Hudson police initially told the station Cross had been questioned and released, as the HPD did not believe he was the culprit, before later issuing an arrest warrant. Cross went missing for six weeks after his police interview, before turning himself in and securing representation by Tipograph.

The video from Channel 6 is online here. Cross, who previously was jailed after being convicted of stealing from the City of Hudson while an Aldeman using an unauthorized credit card, is seen in pinstripes entering the courtroom and exchanging nods with former Hudson Democratic Chair Linda Mussmann of Time and Space Limited (TSL), a friend of Tipograph.

The station says it attempted to reach HPD Chief Ellis Richardson for his side of the story, without success.

UPDATE: The Register-Star has some additional details here, including that “Richardson and Detective John Funk were summoned to the courthouse with their evidence file...” Czajka in this account “takes responsibility” for the omissions, while Tipograph demands an explanation of why the D.A.’s office “failed to exercise due diligence and/or the HPD intentionally or recklessly withheld these materials.”

Eyewitness account of the TCI meeting

Chris Bishop of Old Ghent Realty shares his rough notes of last night’s meeting, which he descibed as “wild, very emotional and properly combative.” He adds that “the audience was much more eloquent than these notes”:

Both DEC and Homeland Security had outside contractors collect test samples.

Bill Black stated that Albany had two foam units—one was required to stay at the airport, the other was out of service. They had to bring foam trucks from Stratton AFB and Rennsalaer. (It was ironic to have the speakers set up in front of a dinky trailer with a hand painted sign reading Columbia County Foam Response Unit.)

The Homeland Security reps stated their contractors were doing test samples in the early morning, VOC and particulate at TCI and downwind, at approximately 4 am.

The Fire Dept. Coordinator said “we pretty much let it burn.”

Thomas Lanphear stated that TCI would comply with [a] regulation every March to list what was at the site the year before.

Brian Hemlock of TCI didn’t show up, even though he was on the program. Basically all restraint ended once that was announced.

Some of the eloquent audience members, in brief, and in rough order of appearance, said:

Zachary Pesce insisted the DEC and the Department of Health spend the money to do the testing they should have been doing since that night.

Howard Brandston spoke about how in general, environmental tests are done to get the results the administration wants.

James Wilcox said that testing needed to restore confidence in the county's agriculture.

Gianni Ortiz said a map of the plume exists, but is not public. DEC admits to having it but doesn't know the source. She referenced Dr. Chris Walchik as to importance of certain aspects of wind direction—winds aloft and the wind profile at sunrise as the accumulation during the night disperses with the first winds of morning.

Victor Mendolia asked why couldn’t there be low-tech warnings to the populace—fire alarms, etc.

Koethi Zan cited the need for dioxin tests, asking for written details of clean-up procedures. This evokes a response from the DEC that they will set up a specific section of their website to the TCI fire.

Paige Smith Orloff questioned the 7-and-a-1/2 mile radius, iterating how this is a county-wide crisis, not just Ghent.

At this point the Columbia County Hazmat director came up to the mic, and states he saw a plume map from the National Weather Service. He detailed the decontamination procedures for the responders: soap and water being typical for most contaminations.

An audience member questioned rebuilding TCI, saying Columbia County is not equipped to deal with a major industrial fire.

Ed Simonson asked why sodium was in that building, and for a list of procedures followed in testing analysis.

Jim Orell (Morell?) suggested TCI could be indicted for reckless endangerment.

Another audience member pointed out that no one from the Ghent Town Board was at the meeting, and the only County Supervisor at the meeting was Robin Andrews—emphasizing hat this is a County issue, and that the local towns can't supervise these companies properly.

Charles Ballard asked where money would come from to clean the site. He commended the Homeland Security office for not being evasive on the phone. He suggested thepublic should receive the same blood tests for toxins as responders. And he about a January fire at TCI, and why that didn't raise red flags.

The Health Department admitted that they were moving offices at the time of the fire and after, and were not equipped to handle many public calls regarding crisis.

Someone asked how many of these type of recycling facilities are located in New York.

Fran Martino of the Greater Stockport Watershed asked for thorough testing of water in nearby Widow's Creek, which flows into the Claverack, into the Stockport and eventually the Hudson River.

Tim Loughner, a firefighter at the scene, felt the department should have had more up to date info on what was at TCI.

 

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No-shows

According to several attendees, TCI was not the only presence missing from Thursday night’s packed meeting. No members of the Ghent Town Board were spotted by a pair of local eyes, and only Robin Andrews of Claverack was positively ID’d among the 24 members of the County Board of Supervisors. (The Ghent Board’a monthly meeting was scheduled at the same time, but many assumed it would be postponed that given the gravity of the TCI situation.) If you saw any others, or have any thoughts on the meeting, please send an email to: [email protected]

UPDATE: The Register’s report by John Mason is now online in addition to The Times-Union article discussed in the previous item.

NOTE: A great deal of material is flowing in—keep your tips and stories coming—but I have commitments on Friday which may delay further updates somewhat... Check back soon.

 

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First media responder: The T-U

The Times-Union’s Scott Waldman is first out of the gate with a detailed report on Thursday night’s meeting organized by Didi Barrett to discuss the TCI inferno, which was attended by a whopping 300+ people at the West Ghent Fire Company. Be sure to read the whole T-U article at: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Anxious-neighbors-of-TCI-confront-government-3794606.php

Several things jump off the page, or rather the screen, right away:

1) A close neighbor of TCI is quoted as saying: “When I asked these officials if they would eat a salad out of my garden, they were quiet.”

2) TCI’s Brian Hemlock canceled at the last minute due to a death in his family, which is understandable. However, the company (which has hired a p.r. firm, and has other employees) surely could have sent someone else so as not to antagonize the audience. The T-U reports that attendees were already “anxious,” “nervous,” “frightened,” and the absence of a TCI rep only heightened the tension and left lingering doubts as to the safety of the community after the blaze, and some left not wanting the company to rebuild.

3) Waldman’s overall assessment is that despite the presence of multiple agencies and officials, the crowd’s concerns were not allayed.

4) The T-U says “hundreds of gallons of toxic hazardous PCBs were at the site before the fire, but [TCI] won't know how much burned until the tangled wreckage can be examined.”

5) Concerned farmers attended, and one customer said he had stopped “buying local vegetables and meat because of the fire” pending better testing.

6) Appreciation of and concern for first responders exposed to the fire was evident, along with calls for better equipment to deal with such emergencies, and better notice of what exactly they are being sent to fight. News of extensive decontamination (decon) of firefighters after the blaze was disclosed for the first time.

7) A Columbia County Sheriff, Thomas Lamphechats reportedly conceded that “emergency officials had ‘dropped the ball’ by not properly notifying residents of possible danger and said the fire might be the worst in Columbia County's history.”

My own sources have expressed some frustration with the meeting’s initial format, which required questions to be written down and vetted by a moderator, but that this cumbersome system broke down, as audience members began simply voicing their questions directly.

WikiCoCo News’ Will Pflaum referred to the evening on Facebook as feeling at first like “Kabuki Theater.”