posted 03-15-2002 01:39 AM            

Does anyone have any follow up
information regarding Senator Reid's
inquiry? (10 months ago)

REID TO EXPAND INQUIRY INTO FALLON JET FUEL CONTAMINATION

June 5, 2001

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Harry Reid, Ranking Democrat on the
Environment and Public Works Committee, announced today that he will seek additional information from
the U.S. Navy, the Secretary of
Transportation and Kinder-Morgan on the transportation, storage, use and
disposal of jet fuel in the community of Fallon, Nevada.

"Whether we are discussing the Navy's practice of dumping jet fuel
from its aircraft or the pipeline that carries the fuel from Reno to Fallon,
lingering questions remain about this toxic substance and whether or not
it could be a contributing factor in local leukemia cases," said Reid, the
Assistant Democratic Leader. "By studying the jet fuel pipeline and
documenting known incidents of contamination, we can alleviate concerns and remove any existing
dangers to residents and the environment."

In the effort to document known spills or releases of jet fuel, Reid has
requested additional information from Fallon Naval Air Station and Kinder
Morgan Energy Partners, the firm which operates the pipeline that carries fuel
from Reno to Churchill County.

"The jet fuel pipeline from Reno to Fallon has been in use for more than four
decades and it should be thoroughly inspected by the federal Office of
Pipeline Safety, if for no other reason than to provide peace of mind to the
community. At the same time, I have asked the operator of the pipeline
to fully document any known fuel spills and to provide more details on the
venting of harmful jet fuel vapors,"
Reid said.

In a letter to Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, Reid outlilned the basis
for his inspection request, "The concerns about releases of JP-8 jet fuel, which
contain known carcinogens, would
warrant further investigation under any circumstances. But the leukemia
cluster in the Fallon area, coupled with the age of the pipelilne, compel
immediate and heightened scrutiny into the condition of the pipeline and the
possibility of releases of jet fuel in the
vicinity of Fallon," he wrote.

In addition to details about the pipeline, Reid is seeking more information
on the handling of jet fuel at Fallon Naval Air Station.
In a letter to Rear Admiral Richard Naughton, he outlined several
areas of concern.

"We already know that the Navy allows its aircraft to dump jet fuel in certain
circumstances. It is important that we also know the requirements that must
be met before dumping takes place and we must be certain about claims that
the fuel totally evaporates before
hitting the ground. Finally, it is critical that the Navy provide a detailed record
of all fuel dumping incidents from 1993 until the present," said Reid, who asked
to also be notified in the future any time
fuel at the air station is dumped.