Industries, Drillers Aid Police in Ohio River Shore Security
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
27 February 2012
By Matthew Santoni
Riverfront industries and gas drillers are helping police in
Beaver County establish response plans for emergencies along the
Ohio River shore and raise money to operate a patrol boat.
"It's a very busy part of the river system," said James
McCarville, executive director of the Port of Pittsburgh
Commission.
In August, police in Beaver and Center formed the Beaver Valley
River Response Task Force and used a $187,000 federal grant to buy
a patrol and rescue boat for the stretch of river from the Ohio
border to the Dashields Lock & Dam in Leetsdale.
Since then, officers have worked with industries and towns along
the river — including FirstEnergy's Beaver Valley Nuclear Power
Station and the coal-powered Bruce Mansfield Power Station, both
in Shippingport — to set up agreements for emergency responses and
waterfront safety patrols, said Detective James DeGori of Beaver.
"Any industry that has an interest in the waterway would have an
interest in the boat," said Center police Chief Barry Kramer.
Emergencies that disrupt or delay river traffic could affect
industries along the Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny rivers, he
noted.
So far, police have raised about $20,000 through agreements with
companies and by selling ads on the side of the truck and trailer
for towing the boat, which costs about $5,000 a year in fuel and
maintenance. That cost does not include personnel, who come from
the two towns' police departments and receive extra training and
licensing, Kramer said.
The boat is stored for the winter, awaiting equipment upgrades
such as a new radio and on-board battery charger, Kramer said.
Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Jeff Hawk said the task force
could help respond to emergencies at the Montgomery Locks &
Dam in Industry, and it participated in a drill in autumn
simulating a medical emergency aboard a boat passing through the
lock. Given Montgomery's advanced age and decrepit conditions,
it's good to have extra help if a problem occurs, he said.
Jennifer Young, spokeswoman for Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy,
said the task force would supplement existing river protection
through the Coast Guard, cutting response time to emergencies and
adding security for the Beaver Valley power plant.
"This provides a more constant presence from the water," Young
said.
The next step, DeGori said, is forming partnerships with other
industries that could affect the rivers, such as drilling
companies tapping natural gas reserves in the Marcellus shale.
He said he is researching which gas companies have sites near the
river, to set up assistance agreements for fires or spills.
The boat could assist with environmental emergencies by deploying
floating booms to control spills. It also could fight fires with a
water cannon or a pump that rapidly refills tanker trucks with
river water, and it could assist with search and rescue
operations, DeGori said.
Matthew Santoni can be reached at msantoni@tribweb.com or
412-380-5625.