Colorado reps turn up heat on air tankers

Salazar, Udall say fleet replacement is taking too long

By David Accomazzo, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Friday, July 4, 2008

Darin Mcgregor / The Rocky

Capt. Chris Holme checks the inboard fuel tanks as his plane is filled with fire retardant in June by Janice Naylor at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield. The tanker was being used to fight a wildfire in Pinon Canyon. Colorado representatives are frustrated at what they say is a lack of response to requests to upgrade the aging fleet of tankers used to fight fires from the air.

Concern over the conditions and safety of aging firefighting aircraft is heating up as dry conditions threaten to spark more blazes across Colorado.

On Thursday, U.S. Reps. Mark Udall, D-Eldorado Springs, and John Salazar, D-Manassa, criticized how long it's taking the Department of Agriculture to replace aging air tankers used to fight forest fires, calling the department's action "unacceptable."

"For two years, I have been asking about plans to assure the future availability and safety of the air tanker fleet," Udall said. "Now, two months after my most recent inquiry, Secretary (Ed) Schafer has responded with a letter that provides only an empty promise that the plan we were promised a year ago 'should be available shortly.' "

Calls made Thursday to the DOA seeking a response were not returned.

"We need answers, not promises," Salazar said.

"Unfortunately, we still do not have the information Congressman Udall and I requested. I urge the secretary to move as quickly as possible to help ensure that our men and women have what they need."

Air tankers provide support to on-the-ground firefighters during major fires.

The government has used tankers to fight fires since the mid- 1950s, when old military planes were outfitted to fight forest fires.

In 2002, five crew members died in tanker crashes, prompting the government to create a blue-ribbon panel to examine the safety of the aircraft.

The panel issued a harsh criticism of the industry, calling the annual death rate "abysmal."

As a result of the investigation, in December 2002 the U.S. Forest Service grounded nine tankers permanently and suspended 35 others from service until the government developed better inspection methods.

Udall and Sala zar first contacted the Forest Service in May 2006 to request meetings to discuss the air tanker situation.

A single-engine air tanker operated by the Colorado State Forest Service crashed on April 15 while fighting a fire outside Fort Carson, killing the pilot.

Fire danger is high throughout Colorado and very high in parts of Fremont, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Routt counties, said U.S. Forest Service public affairs specialist Steve Segin.

Already, about 90,000 acres have burned this year, Segin said. That's well above the 10-year season average of 49,624 acres, Segin said.

"More acres have burned this year than at this time last year," Segin said.

accomazzod@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5620

Aging tankers

A look at the recent history of the federal government's use of firefighting air tankers.

* Spring 2002: The feds go into the fire season with 46 tankers under contract.

* June 17, 2002: A C-130 crashes in California after sustaining a catastrophic wing failure, killing all three crewmen on board.

* July 18, 2002: A PB4Y-2 crashes near Estes Park after sustaining a catastrophic wing failure, killing both crewmen on board.

* Dec. 6, 2002: A panel of aviation experts concludes the air tanker system is "unsustainable" and calls for a complete overhaul. The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management ground nine tankers permanently and take 35 others out of service until a new, more rigorous inspection program can be developed.

* March 2003: The Forest Service begins returning tankers to the air after extensive inspections carried out by Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico.

* May 10, 2004: The federal government grounds the entire fleet of large air tankers after the National Transportation Safety Board concludes their safety cannot be assured.

* July 2, 2004: Interior Secretary Gale Norton announces plans to return five air tankers to service after a series of inspections. Eventually, a total of 16 tankers return to duty.

* May 11, 2006: Mark Rey, undersecretary of agriculture for natural resources and environment, tells Colorado congressmen Mark Udall and John Salazar they can expect a new plan for modernizing the air tanker fleet by the spring of 2007.

* May 2007: The U.S. Forest Service says the plan they promised the previous year will not be ready for months at the earliest.

* July 3, 2008: Udall and Salazar issue a news release calling the Department of Agriculture's delays in updating the air tanker fleet "unacceptable."

• July 4, 2008

  5:13 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  alwaysright writes:

  Now how many million $ is being spent on politics ?

• July 4, 2008

  11:35 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Scott writes:

  So why don't these two democrats, Udall & Salazar, sponsor a Bill in their respective Houses to fund the development and purchase of modern firefighting aircraft? It is obvious that for whatever reasons the USDA is not fulfilling its duty. The Bill could instruct an organization (e.g. NASA) to perform the research and development.

  Oh, hold it! That would take money from the democrat's favorite handout ... Welfare. Just remember, welfare queens vote, forest fires don't.

  Scott

• July 4, 2008

  11:41 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Scott writes:

  OOPS! Wrong Salazar. My 11:35 A.M. posting should have said: "... sponsor a Bill in the House to fund ..."

  Scott