Emergency Protocol
Requirements
Ignored by Quartzsite Officials?

21 APRIL 2010 QUARTZSITE ARIZONA -- The incident in Quartzsite over the weekend showed a clear lack of communication [rules for which are considered by federal regulators to be required protocol] to deal with issues and emergencies.

State officials indicate this protocol should already have been in place prior to this incident and would have prevented the escalating concern of those involved in attempting to contact the proper officials for filing appropriate reports.

With Quartzsite's prior history of toxic spills and ongoing efforts to properly clear those sites of toxins, [click here for an August 2009 ADEQ meeting in Quartzsite describing these sites and the current status of them] it is apparent that the need existed for a clearly delineated plan to be in place should there be any water related event.

Even without the history of toxic spills in Quartzsite, knowledge of and proper adherence to the basic and comprehensive protocol set forth in the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 would prevented the mishandling of the incident -- and the lack of a comprehensive plan precipitated the issues that subsequently occurred.

UPDATE: It was the absence of those basic protocols in Quartzsite that Mayoral Candidate Ed Foster now indicates is responsible for charges Quartzsite officials hope to see pending against Foster, just as the election is preparing to get underway.

Foster has recently learned that a police report intended to serve as a catalyst for charges against the candidate is now pending in Parker -- and he is researching the issue to learn exactly who -- and when -- was responsible for establishing proper protocol and seeing that it was implemented in the community before the incident when a local contractor [as well as past Mayor] discovered an issue with the water during the filling of his pool.

Steve Bennett's concern was candidly portrayed in his e-mail that evening citing the details of the incident and his growing frustration with his failed efforts to reach acting Mayor Wesley Huntley, the only official designated as a Public Information Officer according to the standards utilized in the formation of the town in the absence of a true [properly appointed and trained] PIO - Public Information Officer.

Foster, publisher of The MINESHAFT, was contacted by property owner and prior Mayor Steve Bennett, and Foster undertook the effort to properly report the incident, contacting police officials, the Town of Quartzsite, the La Paz County Sheriff's Department, the Arizona State Police and, ultimately, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality before becoming convinced that it was impossible to discover which officials -- and in what order --  needed to be contacted in order to properly address the issue.

"There were many things misrepresented in the report I saw," Foster stated. "The truth has not begun to be revealed."

Foster is now on record as considering filing suit against the town for what he believes is malicious prosecution.

The protocol [link here] for handling this type of reporting is properly set forth on page 13. The chart shows that it is clearly standard for private individuals and news media to first confirm and then to contact officials in the event of unusual water quality. In the event of Bennett's pool water, the diminished quality of the water was readily visible.

Under the stipulations of the Emergency Planning and Right to Know Act, Citizens not only have the right to know, they are given the authority to bring civil action against a facility, the EPA, a governor or an SERC [State Emergency Response Commission] for failure to implement the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This story, for obvious reasons, requires great effort to properly research.

                  Stay Tuned to Stay Apprised...

ELECTION 2010 promises to be an interesting race with three reform slate candidates pressing for inclusion in the council.

More than a few have voiced strong opposition to the sitting council's position on a myriad of issues facing Quartzsite: and one is absolute insolvency. Despite withholding the the issues from public scrutiny, the council was exposed when Walter Akin and -- shortly thereafter -- Hal Davidson abruptly quit amidst great speculation about their withdrawals from their offices...

 
Many of Quartzsite's citizens attended a special Town Meeting was held to discuss rate hikes scheduled on Monday, November 23, at 3 p.m. in the town hall facility.  With the town 'broke broke broke' according to Hal Davidson, people want answers.                                       READ MORE