Schumer Personally Presses Heads of Air Force, FEMA to Work Together to Keep BAE in the Southern Tier

Press Release

Today U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that he called FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to direct his agency to work with BAE and the Air Force to keep BAE in the Southern Tier. Schumer's discussion with Administrator Fugate comes after he spoke with Secretary Donley to discuss keeping BAE in the Southern Tier. Both officials told Schumer that they are directing their agencies to look into options for a plan to help keep BAE in the Southern Tier; Schumer is planning a meeting with the agencies and BAE to develop the specific details. After speaking with both Donley and Fugate, Schumer is confident that both agencies will work together on crafting a plan that will enable BAE to reopen in the Southern Tier.

"After speaking with both Secretary Donley and Administrator Fugate, I'm confident that they understand just how important BAE is to the Southern Tier," said Schumer. "I'm optimistic that the Air Force and FEMA will help devise a plan to assist BAE in winding down their current facility so they can reopen close by. I'm going to keep doing everything I can to bring everyone to the table as quickly as possible so that we can keep this engine of economic growth humming in the Southern Tier for years to come."

Schumer is pressing the U.S. Air Force and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop a plan to keep BAE Systems, an employer of over 1,300, in the Southern Tier by assuring the company and the Broome County IDA that the federal government will take the lead role in closing down the destroyed facility in Johnson City. Tropical Storm Lee caused millions of dollars of damage to the physical structure of 600 Main, BAE's federally-owned facility, and caused damage to the company's equipment and inventory. BAE Systems produced high-tech equipment for a variety of applications within the federal government, including the U.S. military, in its Johnson City facility which is owned by the U.S. Air Force. Schumer is urging the federal government to quickly devise a response plan for the swift disposition of the federal facility, which could include long-term closure or demolition of the building. Schumer said that neither the company nor Broome County IDA should be responsible for the orderly disposition of the facility so that both parties can focus like a laser on relocating BAE jobs in the Southern Tier. BAE has made it clear to Schumer's office that as a tenant in a federal building, they cannot be wrongly burdened with the responsibility of shutting down or demolishing the facility if they are to remain financially viable in the Southern Tier. Schumer is asking the federal government to consider all federal options to winding down the facility, including the building's eligibility under FEMA's Public Assistance program.

The recent flooding from tropical storm Lee, caused extreme damage to the U.S. Air Force facility where BAE Systems is a tenant. Because of that damage and the lack of a current federal plan to deal with the disposition of this facility, BAE Systems has been forced to explore options to relocate from the Southern Tier. The site has long been plagued by environmental legacy issues dating back decades and the closure or demolition of the facility will likely be a long and tenuous process. Schumer stated that during difficult economic times, the Southern Tier cannot afford to lose this manufacturer, which employs over 1,300 workers in the region. Schumer is pushing for a plan from FEMA and the U.S. Air Force immediately, so that BAE Systems can work with local officials on finding a new Southern Tier home. The federal government must decide how it will deal with the shutdown of this facility so as not to force unfair costs in both time and resources on a major employer in this region, Schumer said.

BAE Systems is a global defense and security company that delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and support services. BAE Systems is one of the largest employers in the Southern Tier.

Source