Reservoir watch on terrorism

By DAVID HULSE

RIVER VALLEY — Miles away from Manhattan but still close enough to a major terrorism target, law enforcement officials in Sullivan and Delaware counties were said to have enacted “heightened security” around the Delaware-Neversink river reservoirs after the September 11 terrorism attacks in New York and Washington.

Sullivan County police officials, like most Americans, admittedly were watching Tuesday’s tragedy unfold on television, “just like I suppose you are,” Sgt. Brian Van Houten said at New York State Police Liberty barracks.

Troopers at Liberty were said to be on standby for aid calls from the metropolitan area, but Van Houten would not comment on any security plans at the reservoirs, other than to acknowledge that measures were being taken.

Meanwhile at press time, New York City Department of Environmental Protection spokespersons in the city were under a barrage of questioning and unavailable for comment, an office worker said. A sergeant at the NYC police barracks in Delaware County said his office was now a “command center” for that response, but beyond that he was apologetically unable to comment.

This went on as national media announced the dispatch of viral infection response teams from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jammed long distance telephone lines prevented inquiries to the Delaware River Basin Commission in Trenton, New Jersey.

Ordered reservoir releases to the river continued Tuesday  morning as usual, according to Deputy Delaware River Master Gary Paulachok. Paulochok said he had no information about any emergency measures on the city’s part.

In Sullivan County, Sheriff Dan Hogue said the principal evidence of the national tragedy was the morning closure of Sullivan County International Airport, which closed in accordance with the Federal Aviation Administration’s closure of airports nationwide.