Al Gore to the rescue!!

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Full-time rescue tug to be stationed at Strait of Juan de Fuca

The Associated Press 11/13/99 2:20 AM Eastern

SEATTLE (AP) -- A full-time rescue tug will be stationed at the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, beginning next month, to respond to maritime emergencies, especially those related to the Y2K bug, Vice President Al Gore says.

"I am pleased to announce that this vessel will continue our efforts to understand how best to protect these pristine waters and will be available should a maritime emergency arise, especially during the uncertain days surrounding the new millennium," Gore said Friday in a release.

Y2K refers to a "year 2000" bug in some computers that may cause them to read the year 2000 as 1900 and malfunction.

Besides being ready to respond to vessels in distress, the tug will provide "real world data" to be used in an ongoing marine safety review by the North Puget Sound Long-Term Risk Management Panel. The panel, with the Coast Guard and state Department of Ecology, is looking at ways to prevent collisions and oil spills in the strait and Puget Sound.

Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., who was part of an effort to station a Navy contract tug in the area for two months last winter, said he was pleased a tug would be there again this winter.

"The vice president clearly understands how important this issue is for our state, and I am delighted he has taken a personal interest in arranging for this more prolonged demonstration of maritime response capability," Dicks said in a release.

Environmental groups have been pressing for a full-time response tug. The maritime industry has preferred to rely on the International Tug of Opportunity System, which tracks more than 100 tugs and dispatches the one closest to a vessel in distress.

The full-time tug is expected to cost about $1 million this winter. The ITOS system covers more area and costs about $500,000 per year, said Harry Hutchins, director of the Puget Sound Steamship Operators Association.

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Clinton announced that we only have small businesses to worry about. Apparently all other problems are being delegated to AlGore?

Gore can refer to "uncertain days" and "clearly understands" some of the risks, but Clinton thinks only SME's are problematic? Do these guys ever talk to each other?

Stranger and stranger.

-- Steve (hartsman@ticon.net), November 14, 1999

Answers

Thanks, Steve. Ever since last Winter in Cascadia too many ships have floundered aground, spilling oil and causing environmental devastation. The New Carissa is STILL beached, after unbelievable assualts by .mil .gov .system .establishment .alphabets .special forces .everything imaginable. It is truly unbelieve so we won't even try to post the details. Just one ship, all the experts in the world can't take care of it.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), November 14, 1999.

Thanks Steve!!

This is my back yard, the Strait of Juan de Fuca is only 16 miles across and has LOTS of shipping go through including tankers from Alaska.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), November 14, 1999.


Thanks Steve --

Think maybe they are setting him up as the fall guy? (He did have alot to do with technology no?)

The Fall Guy = Not BITR The Hero = BITR = Next Pres.?

-- iinventedtheinternet (karlacalif@aol.com), November 14, 1999.


If Al Gore believes that there is significant uncertainty surrounding Y2K then he knows that there is significant uncertainty about his own candidacy for (you know, that stuff the media prattles on about all day and night).

Any reporter with an IQ over 82 should be able to figure it out as well. But, do they look at their favorite story from that angle. Noooooooooo.

Let's hope all these reporters live in high rises in big cities.

-- cgbg jr (cgbgjr@webtv.net), November 14, 1999.


The tug will be manned by a crew of programmers.

-- a (a@a.a), November 14, 1999.


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