Post by outlaw on Mar 13, 2007 19:31:18 GMT -4
County attorney Patrick Thompson, a good old boy doing things the QAC way. Below is from the "Capital." I guess the commissioners' ideas about open government haven't quite trickled down yet.
www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/03_10-42/TOP
AA, QA counties deny access to hazmat plans
By ANDREW CHILDERS, Staff Writer
If there is a hazardous materials spill on the Bay Bridge, would you know what to do?
Probably not, because both Queen Anne’s and Anne Arundel counties have refused to release the details of their hazardous materials response plans — which includes evacuation routes for citizens.
After two months of unannounced visits, confusion, phone calls and Maryland Public Information Act requests, both Anne Arundel and Queen Anne’s counties denied The Capital access to a federally-mandated hazardous materials plan that should be available to the public.
As part of Sunshine Week -- an annual effort sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Coalition of Journalists for Open Government, National Freedom of Information Coalition and the Society of Environmental Journalists -- reporters across the nation sought documents from state and local governments that should be available to every citizen.
blah blah blah, and then:
Queen Anne’s County
The Queen Anne’s County’s emergency management director position was vacant when the first request for its hazmat spill plan was made on Jan. 12.
But Homeland Security Lt. Edward Stoner III offered to provide a copy of the plan, which had been kept in local libraries. The plan had been pulled so it could be revised.
“It’s a public document,” he said at the time of the initial request, taking the reporter’s phone number and promising to follow up.
A week later, Lt. Stoner said the request would have to be submitted in writing to Patrick Thompson, an attorney for the county. The request, written as if from any ordinary citizen, was mailed Feb. 5.
A letter from Mr. Thompson dated Feb. 12 cited a state law that denies the release of records pertaining to “response procedures of plans prepared to prevent or respond to emergency situations, the disclosure of which would reveal vulnerability assessments, specified tactics, specific emergency procedures, or specific security procedures.”
“We have made the policy decision we’re not going to make those plans public,” Mr. Thompson said during a follow-up phone call.
Queen Anne’s County did not have a prior policy on the document’s release until The Capital asked for a copy, according to Mr. Thompson.
“To my knowledge, the policy was made when you made the request,” he said.
However, Mr. Thompson had thought the request was for a different plan, and when the document sought was clarified, he still denied its release
“We’re not going to be releasing those plans,” he said.
Eric Wargotz, president of the Queen Anne’s County Board of Commissioners, deferred policy questions to County Administrator Paul Comfort who asked The Capital to file an official Public Information Act request to view the document during a phone conversation on Monday. The request was faxed in the same day, giving the agency 30 days to respond.
“We’re very open,” he said. “We try to provide everything we can."
www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/03_10-42/TOP
AA, QA counties deny access to hazmat plans
By ANDREW CHILDERS, Staff Writer
If there is a hazardous materials spill on the Bay Bridge, would you know what to do?
Probably not, because both Queen Anne’s and Anne Arundel counties have refused to release the details of their hazardous materials response plans — which includes evacuation routes for citizens.
After two months of unannounced visits, confusion, phone calls and Maryland Public Information Act requests, both Anne Arundel and Queen Anne’s counties denied The Capital access to a federally-mandated hazardous materials plan that should be available to the public.
As part of Sunshine Week -- an annual effort sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Coalition of Journalists for Open Government, National Freedom of Information Coalition and the Society of Environmental Journalists -- reporters across the nation sought documents from state and local governments that should be available to every citizen.
blah blah blah, and then:
Queen Anne’s County
The Queen Anne’s County’s emergency management director position was vacant when the first request for its hazmat spill plan was made on Jan. 12.
But Homeland Security Lt. Edward Stoner III offered to provide a copy of the plan, which had been kept in local libraries. The plan had been pulled so it could be revised.
“It’s a public document,” he said at the time of the initial request, taking the reporter’s phone number and promising to follow up.
A week later, Lt. Stoner said the request would have to be submitted in writing to Patrick Thompson, an attorney for the county. The request, written as if from any ordinary citizen, was mailed Feb. 5.
A letter from Mr. Thompson dated Feb. 12 cited a state law that denies the release of records pertaining to “response procedures of plans prepared to prevent or respond to emergency situations, the disclosure of which would reveal vulnerability assessments, specified tactics, specific emergency procedures, or specific security procedures.”
“We have made the policy decision we’re not going to make those plans public,” Mr. Thompson said during a follow-up phone call.
Queen Anne’s County did not have a prior policy on the document’s release until The Capital asked for a copy, according to Mr. Thompson.
“To my knowledge, the policy was made when you made the request,” he said.
However, Mr. Thompson had thought the request was for a different plan, and when the document sought was clarified, he still denied its release
“We’re not going to be releasing those plans,” he said.
Eric Wargotz, president of the Queen Anne’s County Board of Commissioners, deferred policy questions to County Administrator Paul Comfort who asked The Capital to file an official Public Information Act request to view the document during a phone conversation on Monday. The request was faxed in the same day, giving the agency 30 days to respond.
“We’re very open,” he said. “We try to provide everything we can."