REVIEW BAINBRIDGE ISLAND
FLIPPING AWESOME: Spartans have good turn in Metro meet. A17
FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2013 | Vol. 113, No. 3 | WWW.BAINBRIDGEREVIEW.COM | 75¢
DNR fined $172K after probe into diver’s death
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND’S OWN
DEPARTMENT VOWS TO APPEAL BY BRIAN KELLY Bainbridge Island Review
Brian Kelly / Bainbridge Island Review
Jay Inslee stands with his wife Trudy in the capitol rotunda before his swearing-in Wednesday as governor of the state of Washington.
Jay Inslee sworn in as Washington’s 23rd governor BY ZOEY PALMER AND KYLEE ZABEL WNPA Olympia News Bureau
Shortly after noon Wednesday, Washington’s newly-sworn Democratic Governor Jay Inslee laid forth his vision for his first term that included focusing on job creation and preservation, a balanced operating budget, meeting the needs of the state’s education system, and an affordable health care system responsive to consumer needs. Inslee delivered his inaugural address to a joint session of the Legislature after being sworn in during a mid-morning ceremony in the Capitol rotunda. In mapping the health care system innovations and challenges, Inslee drew special attention to the Reproductive Parity Act due for the Legislature’s consideration this session.
Islanders celebrate their governor Jay Inslee’s inauguration was packed with well-wishers from Bainbridge Island. Some reactions: “We have supported him for a long, long time and have been so impressed with his integrity along the way. I think he’s going to make a great governor. I think he and Trudy
“We must . . . protect the quality and choice that we expect from a health care system that works. Washington women need the freedom and privacy to make the health care decisions that are best for themselves and their families. That’s why I look forward to the Legislature sending the Reproductive Parity Act to my desk, which I will sign. “Let’s get this done,” he declared. Inslee views health care reform as a primary link to reaching a balanced budget and fully-funded education system. “To honestly address our budget problems, we must admit the difficult truth that the road to a balanced budget and a fully funded educational system runs directly through health care reform. This means investing in preventive care and aligning incentives with patients to encourage healthy lifestyle choices,” he said.
In his speech, Governor Inslee stressed that Washington must stay innovative in order to remain competitive in a fast-changing world. Inslee, quoting former president and fellow Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt, said, “Never have we had so little time in which to do so much.” Inslee stated that government, too, must also be agile and able to adapt to new circumstances. “I heard a clear and powerful message on Election Day. The people of Washington state are tired of a state government that doesn’t change with the times,” he said. The governor said he wants government programs to be measured by their successes, rather than simply how much money is invested in them.
are an outstanding team.” — Suellen Cunningham “This is my second governor. There’s been sort of a dry spell between them.” — Howard Block, who met his first governor (Nelson Rockefeller) in an elevator when he was a teenager at the 1964 New York World’s Fair
“It’s nerve-wracking. And exciting. And overwhelming.” — Chris Thomas, BHS jazz orchestra class instructor “It’s just awesome. I’ve never had so many people watch me before.” — Maddie Bolejack, saxophonist in Bainbridge High jazz band
SEE INSLEE, A16
The state Department of Natural Resources has been fined $172,900 for 15 safety violations in the death of a DNR diver off the southern coast of Bainbridge Island. DNR officials said Friday the department would appeal the fine. David Scheinost, a 24-year-old from Puyallup, died July 24 while diving as part of a four-man dive team from the DNR’s Aquatic Resources Division that was sampling for paralytic shellfish poisoning on the Restoration Point geoduck tract. The state Department of Labor and Industries notified DNR officials Jan. 11 of the results of the department’s safety and health inspection that was launched after Scheinost’s death. The notice included an extensive list of the DNR’s violations, which included two “willful” violations, eight “serious” violations, and six “general” violations. “Commercial diving involves risks that unfortunately lead too often to tragedies like this incident,” said Anne Soiza, assistant director of L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health. “These significant risk factors require advance planning, properly maintained equipment and strict adherence to procedures to ensure the protection of workers’ lives on each and every dive.” The two “willful” violations carried a penalty totaling $135,000. The citation notes that the DNR should have made sure its divers carried a reserve supply of breathing supply. In its review, the Division of Occupational Safety & Health inspectors found that in the six months before the inspection, nine divers made 370 dives without a reserve breathing supply. That violation carried a $70,000 penalty. In the diving incident that led to Scheinost’s death, the state faulted the SEE DNR, A25