Getting your player ready...
DENVER—Two Colorado lawmakers have joined other members of Congress in calling for an update on the safety and readiness of the nation’s firefighting air tanker fleet.
Reps. Mark Udall and John Salazar and two other Democratic representatives have sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Edward Schafer saying a long-term plan on the program was promised last year. They pointed out a firefighting plane crashed in Colorado last week, killing the pilot, Gert Marais of Fort Benton, Mont.
A report last week by the Agriculture Department’s inspector general says the firefighting air tankers still have problems despite improvements after high-profile accidents.
