King eyes rising bill for terror Governor proposes up to $20 million bond

AUGUSTA – There is no line in Gov. Angus King’s proposal to balance the budget marked “homeland security costs,” but he says the costs are there and with the crucial need for security-related equipment, he is planning to propose a bond issue – for as much as $20 million – to meet those needs at the state and local level.

“The costs are there, but they are spread through several agencies,” King said. “We are hoping for some federal help, but we can’t wait on Congress. I have told agencies to absorb those bills using existing resources.”

And those bills continue to mount. As of this week, the state has spent $556,475 from the General Fund for homeland security costs ranging from overtime to the unexpected costs relating to testing for anthrax. That sum does not cover bills incurred, but not yet submitted for payment.

“At the height of the [anthrax] scare we were getting 30 or more calls a day,” said Maine Emergency Management director Art Cleaves. “We are still getting a call every day or two. The costs there have been substantial at the state and local level.”

Cleaves said he has no recent figure for local government expenses, but as of Oct. 31, 2001, MEMA had estimates from local governments in excess of $1.6 million.

“We know there are additional expenses since then,” he said, “but we have not asked for them yet.”

Cleaves said when a procedure is established by federal officials that allows municipalities to apply for aid, he will seek updated estimates. He said the state has not received any indication when that will occur, although he expects some aid will eventually be available.

“It’s not just our actual outlays that are a problem,” said Maj. Gen. Joseph Tinkham, commissioner of defense, veterans and emergency management and adjutant general. “When you shift somebody to handle homeland security issues, they are not doing something else that needs to be done. That is going to come back and bite us.”

Tinkham said most of his staff are paid with federal funds, but he said there are still important issues that have been set aside to meet homeland security needs. He said that is true for many state agencies.

“There are many serious public health issues that have gone on the back burner since September 11,” said Dr. Dora Mills, director of the Bureau of Health. “They are going to have to be addressed and I don’t know how we are going to manage that.”

Mills said many bureau staffers, including her, were working 80 to 100 hours a week during the height of the anthrax scare. She said that would not show up in the budget because they don’t get overtime, but she said the “cost” has been high.

“There are so many serious and important areas that we just could not get to,” she said, “and even now, we are far from addressing serious issues that we should be addressing.”

Mills has been able to spend time assessing what the state needs to do from a public health standpoint to address possible terrorist attacks using chemical, nuclear or biological weapons. She said what needs to be done will cost millions of dollars and take years to accomplish, not months.

“We do know we should get about $4 million from the bill Congress passed just before Christmas,” she said, “but we have no idea when we will get the money or what we need to do to get it.”

A big part of the bond issue Gov. King will propose will go for improving the state’s public health infrastructure to respond to a terrorist attack. Mills has estimated the cost of a new public health lab at $10 million. That includes a building that has a lab capable of a high level of isolation.

“We need what is called Level Three containment to handle tests for some of these substances,” she said. “That gets expensive.”

In addition, Mills has proposed a statewide communications network linking her bureau with hospitals and other medical facilities that might be used in an emergency. That price tag is estimated at $2 million. She said there also might be some equipment hospitals may need that should be included in the package, if federal funds are not available.

Cleaves said improving emergency communications statewide is needed. He said exercises conducted last year indicated that in many areas of the state, those first at a scene cannot communicate with other emergency responders, and none had radio links with the National Guard civil support team.

“We are assessing what other items should go in the bond issue request,” he said. “We need to look at what cities or towns or groups of towns may need for equipment.”

Tinkham said the proposal would likely include funds for increased security at state buildings, including such items as surveillance cameras and metal detectors. He said local governments might have similar needs that could be included in the bond.

Gov. King said the bond “should not be above $20 million,” but the request is not final.

He said that while state agencies have been ordered to absorb the additional costs through the remainder of this budget year, lack of federal funds could lead to an additional state budget request later this year. Any bond would have to be approved by voters.

“We hope we will see some federal help on this, it is a federal responsibility,” he said, “but I am not going to be terribly critical because we are all dealing with something new to all of us.”

U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe has been holding a series of forums with local and state officials on homeland security costs this week. She said a top priority when she returns to Washington later this month is to meet with Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge and relay the concerns of Maine officials.