The Governor and ADEM’s Plane
When I first read about Governor Bob Riley’s use of a plane belonging to ADEM (the Alabama Department of Environmental Management), my first thought was almost exactly the same as that of The Birmingham News: ADEM has a plane?
Why does ADEM need its own airplane? What is it being used for? How often is it being used? Although it’s easy enough to imagine a few circumstances that would merit an air trip by ADEM officials, it’s hard to imagine there would be enough of those trips to justify the agency actually owning a 12-seat plane.
My next thought was to wonder what would happen “at the last minute” that would prevent the Governor from using the plane from the Department of Public Safety that he first planned to use?
[Communications Director Jeff] Emerson said Riley had originally planned to take a plane operated by the state Department of Public Safety, but it was unavailable at the last minute. By that point, it was too late to drive and ADEM had the only plane available, Emerson said Tuesday.
| A Cessna Caravan |
As it turns out, ADEM entered into a 10 year lease/purchase agreement for “a new eight-passenger Cessna Caravan” last year. (Is this the same plane that The Birmingham News today called a 12-seat plane, or does ADEM have a new one?) Total costs to ADEM for the Cessna Caravan were to be about $300,000 a year, according to ADEM Director Trey Glenn. (Does he have a fondness for purchasing airplanes for state agencies? The state’s Office of Water Resources bought a used Beech 58 Baron when he headed it.)
ADEM purchased the plane “to help it spot environmental violators.” (But what will they do when they spot them? This is an agency that knew about “lead contamination and piles of hazardous waste” in Lincoln for years but did nothing; the federal Environmental Protection Agency, not ADEM, came in to warn residents and has vowed to clean up the site. This is an agency that allows carcinogens in our water to the level that they cause cancer at ten times the rate that most states allow.)
And of course, I realize that the raison d’etre for these news stories this week is that the Governor’s office has not reimbursed ADEM for use of the plane in the time prescribed by law. May we assume that the Governor quickly remedies this embarrassing oversight?
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From the articles, so far, it looks to me like the usual multi-agency cack up over who takes the 15 minutes or so to send a bill.
Although, why ADEM has a Caravan, is something I hope legislative oversight will address.
Has any one obtained the plane’s flight logs? Might be entertaining.
Comment by walt moffett — August 16, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
What’s legislative oversight? Do they have such a thing?
Comment by Anonymous — August 16, 2007 @ 4:42 pm
Mainly when its time to remind the big mules that campaign contributions are the lifeblood of democracy.
Comment by walt moffett — August 16, 2007 @ 6:24 pm
Why are everyone of Riley’s transgressions termed “oversights” by the media. Sure I expect Riley’s people to call them that but why would the media let this snake-oil salesman get away with it over and over and over again?
Comment by Terry — August 17, 2007 @ 7:10 am
Terry, what nefarious end would you suppose Riley had in mind if he was doing this intentionally? Thanks, Danny
Comment by Danny — August 17, 2007 @ 3:46 pm
All this hype about the plane. The truth is Birmingham News has a personal vendetta against ADEM and it will lie, still
And cheat to make ADEM look bad. What is wrong with an agency investing money on equipment if it is justified? What about other state agencies
And their investment. Oh yes, B News don’t have a personal vendetta against them. BULL NEWS I mean Birmingham News is only reporting what they think
Is the the thruth. If any one has questions about any state agency they should ask the agency the questions and not rely on newspaper
Where articles are made up by the writers.
Comment by Anonymous — August 24, 2007 @ 9:48 am
Anonymous in 6,
Why would the Birmingham News have a vendetta against ADEM?
What has the Birmingham News said on this matter that was a lie?
Thank you!
Danny
Comment by Danny — August 24, 2007 @ 10:11 am
I wonder what are the other agencies have airplanes. Do they have flight log? Who’s been flying them? What is used for? Has any one asked this question?
Comment by BBkin — August 24, 2007 @ 8:14 pm
[…] This ADEM plane story had more lift in its wings than we would have first thought. Their reluctance to release flight logs raised many questions… and eyebrows. ADEM bought itself a little time with its promise to post flight information on the web starting next month; critics have backed off a little waiting to see the info. Many are interested to learn more about the flight to the “meeting-conference” in Tunica, MS, the small town (pop. 1175) that is the self-proclaimed Casino Capital of the South. ADEM says that their 36 surveillance flights spotted over 800 environmental problems from the air, an impressive average of over 22 problems spotted per flight. We will enjoy hearing the results of those investigations. […]
Pingback by Friday Notebook » Doc’s Political Parlor — September 10, 2007 @ 12:16 pm
Y’ll bunch of idiots!!
Comment by Anonymous — October 6, 2007 @ 3:09 pm