Forest Service Gets Fire Aid
WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration agreed Tuesday to help set up a special safety inspection program for 33 grounded aerial tankers contracted by the Forest Service for firefighting, lawmakers said.
Separately, the Bush administration said it would revise a 30-year-old policy to make it easier for the Forest Service to use military planes for firefighting missions.
The Forest Service canceled its contracts with the private companies that own the tankers after an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found that there was no system to guarantee their safety. Two of the aging planes crashed in 2002 after their wings fell off.
The agreement to loosen restrictions for using military planes came after pressure from Reps. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) and Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon).
The previous policy barred the Forest Service from calling in military planes if any civilian planes were available.
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