I write this sheltered in place in my home near the Richmond Refinery, shivering from the cold as I obey the shelter in place advice to turn off my heating system.

 

The real problem is that we even have to have a Community Warning System. The confusion that plagued this morning’s alert resulting from a fire at Chevron is just the latest chapter in a long list of failures. For information about past incidents, see:

 

• Toxic Release and Siren Nuisance Ordinance Reintroduced, August 12, 2003

 

• Community Warning System Maintains Perfect Record, September 4, 2003

 

• Chevron "Burps," City Lurches, August 12, 2003

 

• Readers Speak Out On Sirens And Related Issues, February 10, 2002

 

• Ordinance Introduced Making Discharges Requiring Sirens A Nuisance, February 10, 2002

 

• Enough Is Enough, February 5, 2002

 

I intend to introduce, for the third time, an ordinance that would provide significant penalties for entities that cause events that set of warning sirens. As I wrote in 2002 when I first unsuccessfully introduced this legislation:

 

As promised in the February 5, 2002, TOM BUTT E-FORUM, I have introduced legislation that would result in a fine of $6,000 per minute for any discharge that results in activation of the Community Warning System sirens. In order for this not to be a deterrent to timely activation of the sirens, the penalty would be assessed for the entire time the sirens should have been activated, if in fact, the activation was tardy or the “all-clear” premature.

While the sirens fulfill a vital public safety function, they should not be used as an excuse that justifies the type of discharges that cause their activation. The sirens themselves cause widespread disruptions in productivity, transportation and education and result in worry and anxiety. These adverse impacts are not the result of the sirens but of the releases by property owners and businesses that cannot keep their toxic byproducts within their boundaries.

It is absolutely unfair to the tens of thousands of people who live, work and go to school in Richmond to sustain the damage from toxic releases without sharing in the income from the companies that cause the problem.