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For Immediate
Release
2/16/07
CONTACT:
Craig Shuey
(717) 787-3280
Lee Ann Labecki
(717) 787-7428
Senate Committees to Hold Public
Hearing on State's Storm Response
HARRISBURG – The
Senate Transportation Committee and Senate Veterans
Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee will hold
a joint public hearing on Thursday, Feb. 22, to
examine the state's response to the recent storm,
which closed I-78, I-80 and I-81. The hearing is
scheduled for 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Hearing Room 1 of
the North Office Building.
The situation on I-78,
where thousands of motorists were stranded in
sub-freezing temperatures – some for nearly 24 hours –
is expected to receive the most attention at the
hearing. Members of the Senate not on the committees
but representing impacted areas will also be invited
to participate.
PennDOT Secretary Allen D.
Biehler, Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col.
Jeffrey B. Miller, and Pennsylvania Emergency
Management Agency Director James R. Joseph have all
been asked to testify. Others may also be asked to
testify.
On Thursday, Gov. Rendell's spokeswoman said the
governor was satisfied with the state's response and
that "Mother Nature is the only one to blame." After a
large public outcry, the governor's viewpoint changed
and he said today that the situation was
"unacceptable" and blamed it on an "almost total
breakdown in communication" among state agencies. Gov.
Rendell has called for an investigation into what
happened; the Senate chairmen believe that a public
hearing is the best way to advance that process.
"We need to understand
what happened so that future storms can be handled
better," said Sen. Roger Madigan (R-Bradford),
chairman of the Transportation Committee.
"If Pennsylvania was not
ready to respond to this snow emergency, it raises
serious questions about our ability to respond to
other emergencies," said Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne),
chairman of the Emergency Preparedness Committee.
The senators also
announced the creation of a special email address,
stormresponse@pasen.gov. Anyone impacted by the
incident is encouraged to email their comments to
stormresponse@pasen.gov. Those submitting comments
are asked to include their name, address and phone
number.
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