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Technology Stocks : Discuss Year 2000 Issues -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ken Salaets who wrote (3006)	12/23/1998 9:34:00 AM
From: jwk	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9818

Ken -- I think you are referring to Samsonite. Check their latest earnings news and give the company a call to ask some direct questions. The smug, no-problemo poster here may even wish to share the 8 mythical points with the Samsonite IR folks.

To: Ken Salaets who wrote (3006)	12/23/1998 3:21:00 PM
From: John Mansfield	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9818

'The below is an interesting post made today on the CPSR listserv. Even if you subscribe to the CPSR listserv, it was formatted horribly (too long of lines) so I reformatted it nicely here. --Roleigh ----------------------------------------------------------------------- \|Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1998 11:53:00 -0800 (PST) \|Originator: cpsr-y2k@cpsr.org \|From: nsw11@home.com \|Subject: Y2K Chemical Release Risk;Siegel \|X-Comment: CPSR Year 2000 problem discussion list \|X-Info: For listserv info write to listserv@cpsr.org with message HELP \|Message-Id: <1371453482379.LTK.025@cpsr.org> Sender: Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org> Subject: Y2K Chemical Release Risk (I received this December 21, '98 - LS) Fellow concerned y2k'rs: Before Friday's Chemical Safety Board (CSB) Meeting on Chemical Safety and the Year 2000 Conversion Problem, I had prepared a document of concerns and actions, which is included below. Because of the multi-stakeholder format, I did not think it would be appropriate to distribute to the group at the time. I did however want to share these concerns with others who may have labor/community/environmental perspectives. After Friday's meeting, I feel even more strongly that there is a need to further broaden awareness of the need to move into a contingency planning phase and begin to develop appropriate emergency response capabilities. In addition, there is an urgent to need to stimulate awareness within our own stakeholder communities. While I can appreciate why the head of the President's Y2k Council, Mr. Koskinen, is mainly concerned with public reassurance and containing over-reaction, this reponsibility should not stand in the way of contingency planning and thoughtful emergency preparedness by government agencies and the private sector. I think we heard an acute level of concern from the chemical companies and the insurance industry regarding the current state of y2k preparedness. I think we also learned that the current period of y2k compliance testing may present new risks to workers and the community and that it is being largely carried out without public oversight and governmental regulatory involvement. Beyond testing, the certification of y2k compliance is a completely open question because of the dearth of guidance from the federal government or any other entity. The presentation from Rohm & Haas proposing "the shutting down of operations through the millennial transition" as a "prudent precaution" was both chilling and refreshing. Unlike many others, they are at least looking at worst case scenarios and planning accordingly. All of industry's plans are based on the response of a public infrastructure that is even more woefully prepared. As stated by a firefighter at the meeting, if there is a chemical explosion or emergency, a facility should be prepared for no response. If you receive this message, you may also take it as my holiday and NEW YEAR'S GREETING. I have come to believe that the millennial rollover issue and its impact on our safety and health is an acute one. Prudent contingency planning now can reduce its impact on our families and communities later. All my best wishes, Chip Hughes, Director Worker Education and Training Program, NIEHS FACTSHEET BELOW: Y2K Preparedness and Chemical Emergency Response Concerns: * The threat of y2k-related environmental releases of chemical, radiological and toxic materials during the testing, remediation and possible failure of mission critical automated systems represents one of the gravest threats to the environment and public health and safety of any aspect of the millennial rollover conundrum. * According to a survey by the National Association of Counties on 12-9-1998, half of county governments lack a plan to deal with y2k preparedness, contingency planning and emergency response. This will impact on the availability of emergency response services, 911 communications and sewer and water treatment systems. * According to a survey by the Emergency Response Research Institute (ERRI) released on 12-4-1998, less than a third of the emergency response organizations surveyed have begun y2k contingency planning activities and less than a quarter have looked at the external effects of other organizations' y2k compliance on their ability to provide emergency response services. * According to a survey by the Oil and Gas Working Group of the President's Y2K Council during 9-1998, less than 20% of the 638 oil and gas companies surveyed have included an environmental safety and health component in their current Y2K assessment and remediation plan and less than 10% have completed their Y2k contingency planning with respect to environmental monitoring and control. * Embedded chips in mission critical systems that are involved in automated process control of toxic chemicals and environmental releases are far too numerous and dispersed throughout our primary industrial sectors to be adequately assessed, remediated and tested before the y2k roll-over event. * Because of the lack of adequate planning for reaching y2k compliance in a critical mass of key industry sectors by 12-31-1998, a new contingency planning phase must be initiated immediately by the President's y2k Conversion Council to build public awareness and an emergency response infrastructure at the federal, state and local levels to respond to environmental disruptions, chemical releases, and severe threats to public health and safety. * Because of the need for a coordinated national response, an ongoing public-private partnership should be formed by the Chemical Safety Board and the President's Y2k Conversion Commission to oversee chemical safety assurance and contingency planning during the millennial roll-over period. Y2K Preparedness and Chemical Emergency Response Actions: * A federally-coordinated campaign to mandate y2k contingency planning and response training among front-line workers in chemical-dependent industrial operations, chemical emergency response organizations and HAZMAT response teams at the federal, state and locals levels must be initiated immediately. * A national program to promote the y2k assessment and testing of critical emergency response technology, equipment and infrastructure in Emergency Medical Services (EMS), fire departments and HAZMAT teams must be supported and implemented. * A national program must be developed to assure the health and safety of front-line workers and chemical emergency responders during the critical period of y2k compliance testing and quality assurance certification in calendar year 1999 as high risk operations are shutdown and restarted to test y2k compatibility. * The development of training and educational materials for front-line workers in chemical dependent industries, local community residents, and the emergency response community at the federal, state and local levels should be developed to specifically focus resources on the unique hazmat response challenges of y2k related chemical and hazardous materials related incidents and scenarios. * The implementation of a national training and education program for chemical workers and HAZMAT emergency responders which can tailor training modules to specific targeted groups of responders at the awareness, operations, technician and specialist levels regarding the y2k contingency planning and response requirements. * The establishment and implementation of simulated y2k emergency response exercises with private sector, governmental and community involvement based on the established y2k contingency plans and plausible worst-case scenarios for all communities which host large chemical dependent facilities, nuclear power plants and industrial sewage treatment plants across the nation. * Contingency planning for the safe shutdown of facilities and protection of plant workers, community residents and emergency responders at all chemical dependent facilities which are deemed to NOT be y2k compliant as the 01-01-2000 roll-over date approaches must be developed immediately. * At facilities which may present a grave threat to either the environment or public health and safety because of y2k-related compliance issues, the President's Chemical Safety Board should develop model protocol of assuring y2k compliance. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Y2K UPDATE LINKS year2000.com year2000.dci.com cgi.pathfinder.com ferc.fed.us gao.gov thefederation.org itpolicy.gsa.gov cruxnet.com y2ktimebomb.com y2knewswire.com techweb.com duh-2000.com y2ktoday.com zdnet.com co-intelligence.org co-intelligence.org ocweb.com ocweb.com year2000.com millennia-bcs.com home.natca.org wild2k.com -- Lenny Siegel Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight c/o PSC, 222B View St., Mountain View, CA 94041 Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545 Fax: 650/968-1126 lsiegel@cpeo.org cpeo.org