Recovering Costs to the City for Response to Kleen Emergency

Commentary

Tonight the Common Council will vote to appropriate $700,000 in funds to the mayor's office and the fire department for the city's response to the blast at the Kleen Energy plant.

There is no doubt that the Council should fund this response, and praise the men and women who responded quickly and effectively to the emergency. These responders did exactly as they were trained, risking their own safety to be sure that members of the community were safe. We should be happy to have a force which responded so quickly and effectively.

According to sources, this funding is not likely the last of city funds that will have to be appropriated to the emergency.

A police and fire investigation at the site has just been completed. If it is determined that there was any negligence at the site which caused the blast, or if common safety standards and regulations were disregarded, the city should do all in its power to recover the costs of the emergency response, and the Council should make a resolution to that effect.

While the city benefit from tax revenue if the plant recovers and is rebuilt to generate power, the cost to the city of this emergency is an indication of the risk the city has taken in allowing such a plant to be constructed here.

Nothing can make up for the loss of life and the injuries that occured at the site, but the city must be sure that it does not become the party responsible for monetary losses due to negligence.