State, Feds Order Investigation Of CL&P's Response To October Snowstorm
NEWTOWN, CT (WCBS 880) - At least a half-dozen investigations have been launched into Connecticut Light & Power's response to the freak October snowstorm.
A panel set up to examine the response to Irene and the nor'easter met Wednesday.
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Gov. Dan Malloy told reporters Wednesday that CL&P seems to given more lip service to preparation than actually drilling on execution with respect to preparedness and recovery."
But union official Frank Sarullo says it's clear no one is buying much of what officials are saying about the utility's response, and that linemen are in a unique position to tell the story.
"It's like a war correspondent. You could get all the reports from the Pentagon you want, but there's a different atmosphere when you've got a reporter on the ground, on the scene, talking to the guys that are actually doing it," Sarullo told WCBS 880 reporter Paul Murnane. "There's a sense of honesty there when linemen from each work center tells you their storm story."
He says there are more customers and fewer workers than there used to be. "But the linemen on the ground can tell you what they were told, what their orders were and when they started to get help from outside crews," said Sarullo.
They've been out to about 200 different storms of all sizes over the past five years and Sarullo says they want a guarantee that retribution won't follow if linemen tell the truth.
Following the Oct. 29 storm, 830,000 customers were without power. By Thursday morning, a few dozen customers still remained without electricity.
What do you have to say about CL&P's response to the freak snowstorm? Sound off in the comments section below!
