NJFFSA16
05-08-2002, 06:14 AM
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - Sen. Maria Cantwell has introduced a bill
that would require Agriculture and Interior inspectors general to
investigate firefighter fatalities in the Forest Service and the
National Park Service.
The Forest Service is just "pushing paper around," rather than
taking the steps needed to ensure accountability for firefighter
safety, she said Tuesday in a teleconference from Washington, D.C.,
after a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on
the Forest Service's wildfire preparedness for this year.
"People are losing their lives, but no one is losing their jobs
over safety violations," said Cantwell, D-Wash.
Joe Walsh, a Forest Service spokesman, said it was premature to
suggest that no one would be held responsible in the deaths of four
firefighters last summer in Washington's Okanogan National Forest.
"There's an investigation going on," he said. "I think folks
have to wait until that is completed before drawing a conclusion
that no actions were taken."
Cantwell's bill is similar to an amendment - dealing with the
Forest Service only - that she attached to the national Farm Bill.
That amendment was killed earlier this month in an unrelated
dispute over timber policy.
Under her new proposal, the inspector general for the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the inspector general for the
Department of the Interior would be responsible for investigating
firefighter fatalities for the Forest Service and the Park Service,
respectively.
The Interior Department is reviewing the legislation and had no
comment Tuesday.
The Bush administration did not oppose the amendment to the Farm
Bill, Walsh said.
Asked to elaborate, he said, "I think it says a lot when the
administration doesn't oppose a provision."
The Forest Service is responsible for investigating itself after
firefighter fatalities, including the 1994 South Canyon fire on
Storm King Mountain that killed 14 firefighters in Colorado and the
Thirty Mile fire last July 10.
Many policy and rule changes were proposed after the South
Canyon fire, but Forest Service investigators acknowledged last
year that some of the same mistakes were made at Thirty Mile.
"There have been similar incidents, similar recommendations and
similar responses, and then there was the Thirty Mile fire," said
Cantwell. "It's clear they haven't come up with an accountability
system."
Federal regulations would require agency managers to promptly
evaluate the findings of an inspector general and come up with
responses within a specified time. The inspectors would also
monitor the situation to make sure corrective actions were taken.
The Forest Service's investigation of the Thirty Mile fire found
that fire bosses and managers broke the 10 most basic firefighting
safety rules and ignored significant warning signs of danger in the
narrow Chewuch River canyon, where the fire trapped 14 firefighters
and two civilians.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, in a separate
investigation, said the Forest Service willfully disregarded the
safety of its employees and ordered the agency to come up with a
plan to try to prevent such deadly mistakes in the future.
"We're often criticized for being callous and uncaring," Walsh
said. "We strive to be very, very safe. This is a tough, demanding
business."
Eighteen firefighters from all wildland firefighting agencies
across the country died in wildfire-related circumstances last
year.
Cantwell also called on the Forest Service to form a partnership
with OSHA to improve firefighter safety.
"I'm trying to get a cultural change within the agency,"
Cantwell said. "They're putting things down on paper and not
implementing them."
(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press.
that would require Agriculture and Interior inspectors general to
investigate firefighter fatalities in the Forest Service and the
National Park Service.
The Forest Service is just "pushing paper around," rather than
taking the steps needed to ensure accountability for firefighter
safety, she said Tuesday in a teleconference from Washington, D.C.,
after a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on
the Forest Service's wildfire preparedness for this year.
"People are losing their lives, but no one is losing their jobs
over safety violations," said Cantwell, D-Wash.
Joe Walsh, a Forest Service spokesman, said it was premature to
suggest that no one would be held responsible in the deaths of four
firefighters last summer in Washington's Okanogan National Forest.
"There's an investigation going on," he said. "I think folks
have to wait until that is completed before drawing a conclusion
that no actions were taken."
Cantwell's bill is similar to an amendment - dealing with the
Forest Service only - that she attached to the national Farm Bill.
That amendment was killed earlier this month in an unrelated
dispute over timber policy.
Under her new proposal, the inspector general for the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the inspector general for the
Department of the Interior would be responsible for investigating
firefighter fatalities for the Forest Service and the Park Service,
respectively.
The Interior Department is reviewing the legislation and had no
comment Tuesday.
The Bush administration did not oppose the amendment to the Farm
Bill, Walsh said.
Asked to elaborate, he said, "I think it says a lot when the
administration doesn't oppose a provision."
The Forest Service is responsible for investigating itself after
firefighter fatalities, including the 1994 South Canyon fire on
Storm King Mountain that killed 14 firefighters in Colorado and the
Thirty Mile fire last July 10.
Many policy and rule changes were proposed after the South
Canyon fire, but Forest Service investigators acknowledged last
year that some of the same mistakes were made at Thirty Mile.
"There have been similar incidents, similar recommendations and
similar responses, and then there was the Thirty Mile fire," said
Cantwell. "It's clear they haven't come up with an accountability
system."
Federal regulations would require agency managers to promptly
evaluate the findings of an inspector general and come up with
responses within a specified time. The inspectors would also
monitor the situation to make sure corrective actions were taken.
The Forest Service's investigation of the Thirty Mile fire found
that fire bosses and managers broke the 10 most basic firefighting
safety rules and ignored significant warning signs of danger in the
narrow Chewuch River canyon, where the fire trapped 14 firefighters
and two civilians.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, in a separate
investigation, said the Forest Service willfully disregarded the
safety of its employees and ordered the agency to come up with a
plan to try to prevent such deadly mistakes in the future.
"We're often criticized for being callous and uncaring," Walsh
said. "We strive to be very, very safe. This is a tough, demanding
business."
Eighteen firefighters from all wildland firefighting agencies
across the country died in wildfire-related circumstances last
year.
Cantwell also called on the Forest Service to form a partnership
with OSHA to improve firefighter safety.
"I'm trying to get a cultural change within the agency,"
Cantwell said. "They're putting things down on paper and not
implementing them."
(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press.