Spitzer, Congressmembers Call For FEMA Aid To Queens
COMPILED BY LINDA J. WILSON

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer on Monday asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to make a major federal disaster declaration for homeowners, renters and business owners in the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island who were adversely impacted by the severe storms and devastating tornado that swept through the greater metropolitan area on August 8.

"The impact of this storm, including the unprecedented tornado and subsequent flooding, on the people of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island has been devastating," Spitzer said. "Residents are struggling to cope with the effects of massive destruction and displacement and need all the help they can get. The severity and impact of this storm warrant supplementary Federal assistance and I hope FEMA will quickly make an emergency declaration."

New York's two United States Senators, Democrats Charles Schumer and Hilary

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens) (c.), was joined by the ranking Democrat on the state senate Transportation Committee John Sabini (D-Queens) right, and City Councilmember David Yassky (D-Brooklyn), left, to call for the installation of low cost fiber optic stress detection technology on bridges to allow for year-round inspection

Clinton, and Congressmember Joseph Crowley joined Spitzer in calling for federal disaster aid. "Nearly two weeks later, FEMA needs to deliver this sorely needed aid fast," Schumer said. "Many homes and businesses suffered severe damage that is well beyond their financial means to repair. FEMA must now step up to the plate and provide the vital assistance these communities need and deserve."

Clinton added: "I urge the President [George W. Bush] to issue a disaster declaration as soon as possible so that federal assistance can be allocated to those impacted areas from the F2 tornado and severe storms immediately. The destruction left in the wake of this severe storm has been devastating for many residents and businesses. I commend the governor and FEMA for quickly conducting a damage assessment of the area and now it is time to provide the federal assistance needed to help with the rebuilding."

The state is seeking implementation of FEMA's Individual Assistance program (IA), which includes assistance and relief for temporary housing expenses, household repairs, low interest loans from the Small Business Administration, and funding to safeguard against future disasters. Immediately following the August 8 storm, the governor requested technical assistance from FEMA in the form of a joint preliminary damage assessment. Preliminary information from that rapid joint assessment of the three boroughs indicates severe loss and damages to private property including complete destruction and severe damage to more than 1,500 residential homes and apartments, major sewage backup and residential contamination from flooding.

Crowley, a Democrat who represents parts of Queens and The Bronx, said: "I have seen firsthand the severe damage caused by the August 8 storms. Governor Spitzer's request for a disaster declaration should be immediately approved by the president so our community can access much-needed federal aid as it works to recover." Crowley earlier accompanied a FEMA official to survey flood-damaged areas of Queens and to assess the extent of the destruction caused by the August 8 storm. Crowley was joined by Assemblymember Margaret Markey (DMaspeth) and City Councilmember Eric Gioia (D-Long Island City) in calling on city Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. to investigate the causes behind the severe flooding in Queens. As Chief Financial Officer of the city, Thompson will ultimately be responsible for any liability the city may bear if infrastructure failures are documented and proven to be partly responsible.

WEINER CALLS FOR BRIDGE MONITOR SENSORS: Congressmember Anthony Weiner (D-Queens), state Senator John Sabini (Jackson Heights), ranking Democrat on the state senate Transportation Committee, and City Councilmember David Yassky (D-Brooklyn) called for the installation of new fiber optic stress detection technology on bridges to allow for year-round inspection that could prevent a catastrophic bridge failure like the tragic incident in Minneapolis. Currently, bridges are inspected every two years, and approximately 90 percent of such inspections are conducted visually. Weiner announced the introduction of federal legislation to provide matching funds of 50 percent to cities and states that employ such technologies.

Fiber optic sensors can be installed on spans and enable bridges to signal for help the moment structural problems arise. A series of sensors embedded in the bridge communicate wirelessly to a computer and provide engineers with a real-time picture of a bridge's health and safety so that problems can be acted upon immediately. In addition to identifying cracks in a bridge, the sensors can detect the speed at which those cracks are spreading, identify the stress caused by heavy load and natural elements such as heat and wind, and also measure corrosive activity. The sensors do not require batteries and would remain operational for many years.

The installation of a fiber optic system on a 1,000-foot span similar to the collapsed bridge in Minneapolis would have cost approximately $185,000.The cost of installing sensors on a larger span such as the Brooklyn Bridge is an estimated $250,000 to $500,000. Fiber optic sensor programs have already been successfully used around the world, including the Manhattan and Third Avenue bridges in New York City.

According to a 2006 city report, 84 percent of New York City's 19 largest bridge spans are in poor or fair condition. Despite spending $3 billion on bridge reconstruction over the last eight years, the federal Department of Transportation has deemed 178 of the city's bridges as structurally deficient, which signifies they are in need of work but not in danger of imminent collapse.

"While our bridges are safe, we have to be vigilant and proactive in keeping them that way," Weiner said. "This low cost and effective technology will allow us to predict problems and have virtual inspectors on our bridges 24-7, it's simply a no-brainer."

"Early intervention is always the best cure," Sabini said. "The continuous detection of changes in structural behavior will allow for a proactive rather than reactive approach to the maintenance of our infrastructure."

"We can't settle for being 'pretty sure' that our bridges are safe," said Yassky. "Sensor technology is available, it's inexpensive, and it's effective- there's no excuse not to use it."

GENNARO: BAN SMOKING IN CARS IF KIDS PRESENT: City Councilmember James F. Gennaro (DFresh Meadows) last week introduced smoke-free cars legislation, which makes it unlawful for any operator or passenger in a vehicle to smoke when a person younger than 18 is present. "Protecting children from the dangers of secondhand smoke is my highest priority, both as a parent and as chair of the Environmental Protection Committee of the New York City Council," Gennaro said. "This legislation will help keep our children healthy and smoke-free in this city, where asthma has reached critical heights, afflicting 300,000 children."

Children who spend one hour in a smoke-filled room are inhaling as many dangerous chemicals as they would if they had smoked 10 or more cigarettes, according to the Mayo Clinic. This is intensified within the confines of a vehicle, where there are only several cubic feet of air.

Joining Gennaro were Councilmember David I. Weprin (D-Hollis), representatives from the Center for Tobacco Control at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, the Rockland County Legislature, the Keyport, New Jersey Board of Health and the New Jersey Group Against Smoking Pollution (GASP). Additional supporters include the American Lung Association, the Environmental Advocates of New York, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and Respiratory News and Views.

"Secondhand smoke kills, and there is no disputing that fact," Weprin, chair of the council Finance Committee, said. "We must employ all means within our power to ensure that minors are not subjected to the dangers of secondhand smoke simply because they are passengers in a car with an adult who smokes."

The New York City Police Department would be empowered to enforce this restriction. The penalties for violation are negotiable, but have been preliminarily set at $100.

CUOMO AUDITS HOME CARE AGENCIES: In an effort to rein in fraud in New York's home health care industry, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has subpoenaed more than 50 certified home health agencies in the New York metropolitan area, and has requested additional selfdisclosure information from 10 of the largest among them.

In recent months, the attorney general's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has uncovered several home health aides operating with falsified certifications, some issued by schools with no required state accreditations- and causing Medicaid to be billed for their work. The resulting indictments exposed a wide range of fraudulent practices and schemes by the aides, the facilities that train them and the agencies that employ them. They included working without proper certifications, providing and billing for ineligible services, and billing for services never provided.

"The evidence we've obtained to date suggests endemic, persistent fraud and malfeasance at all levels of the home healthcare industry," Cuomo said. "From unqualified aides to deceptive billing practices, the operations we've uncovered threaten patient care while bilking taxpayers out of millions. The findings from these subpoenas will help us put together a global picture of the extent of the problem and a road map for repair."