FEMA trucks dump surplus ice on Seguin landing strip FEMA says ice was no longer needed on Gulf Coast

SEGUIN -- Thousands of pallets of ice, originally dispatched for areas ravaged by Hurricane Ike, melted in the sun today on a runway at Randolph Auxiliary Air Field here, with more trucks lining up to unload more ice.

But it's not indicative of poor planning by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a spokesman said. In fact, it's just the opposite, evidence that FEMA was well prepared for Ike.

"That ice is surplus ice from the original requests from state, county and local authorities before the scope of the hurricane was known," said FEMA spokesman Richard Scorza. "We try to anticipate the needs for various commodities. The good news is it addressed the immediate needs of the population and there are no shortages."

Scorza said FEMA officials made aggressive efforts to place the surplus ice with other organizations, from churches to fish markets, but had only two takers, a church in Webster and an organization in Kentucky.

He said the agency decided to unload the ice and let it melt because it would be more expensive to keep it frozen indefinitely to fill some unknown future need. Scorza did not know how many trucks or how much ice was headed for Seguin, but said if any areas on the coast needed more ice, FEMA could supply it immediately.

"Our indications are that the ice they have on hand is sufficient for their needs," he said of coastal cities. "Better to have too much than not enough. This is a product of prudent planning. You don't want to be in a position where you underestimated your need."

The pallets of ice covered hundreds of square yards, and a continuous line of trucks were arriving at midday to unload more.

FEMA officials and security personnel at the airfield, an annex of San Antonio's Randolph AFB, refused to allow reporters onto the property, and initially objected to a reporter standing on a public road near the fence to try to interview truckers inside the fence.

When some truckers consented to an interview, a man wearing a FEMA shirt arrived on a golf cart within moments and threatened to have the truckers fired.

"This conversation is over," he told the truckers. "Or you guys will not be here any longer."

A security guard at the gate said the truckers had all signed an agreement not to speak to news media.

One trucker, contacted by phone, agreed to speak if his name was not published.

He said he picked up his 40,000-pound load of ice in Maryland last Wednesday and arrived in Houston near midnight Saturday, where he sat until he was sent to Seguin today to have the ice unloaded.

He said he was frustrated and upset at the turn of events, estimating the cost of the ice and his trip to be at least $12,000. He said he had seen at least 125 other trucks at the facility unloading.

rcroteau@exress-news.net