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CNN Live Today
Dam Emergency; Wilma Now a Hurricane; CIA Leak Probe
Aired October 18, 2005 - 11:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And here's a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
A failing dam threatens to send a wall of water into a Massachusetts town. About 2,000 residents in Taunton, Massachusetts, have been urged to evacuate. Schools, government offices and businesses are closed. And the National Guard is on standby in case the dam bursts. An update is just ahead.
Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers turned over a 64-page Senate questionnaire today. The document asks about such things as her longtime friendship with the president and whether she's given assurances to anyone about how she'd vote on particular issues. On that question the answer was a simple "No."
Wilma is now a hurricane. Forecasters upgraded the storm to hurricane status within the last 20 minutes or so. It's maximum sustained winds have reached 75 miles per hour. Wilma is the 12th hurricane of the Atlantic season. That ties the record set in 1969.
Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan says the surge in energy prices will be a drag on the economy, but he says the impact won't be as severe as the oil shocks in the 1970s. In a speech in Tokyo, Greenspan called the run-up in energy prices following hurricanes Katrina and Rita an accident waiting to happen.
Authorities in California say the investigation into the death of a prominent attorney's wife is a wide open case. A sheriff's department spokesman criticized reports that an arrest in the case is imminent. Attorney Daniel Horowitz reported finding his wife, Pamela Vitale, dead in their home. The medical examiner says she was beaten to death.
Well, good morning. And welcome to CNN LIVE TODAY.
It is 8:00 a.m. in Burbank, California; 11:00 a.m. in Taunton, Massachusetts; and 6:00 p.m. in Bucharest, Romania.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris, in for Daryn Kagan.
Up first this hour, trouble in Taunton, Massachusetts. Water is seeping through a dam upstream from the town. Officials say the dam on the rain-swollen Mill River is deteriorating. And if it bursts, it could send a six-foot wall of water cascading into downtown.
The National Weather Service calls the situation extremely dangerous. About 2,000 residents were strongly advised to evacuate. Schools have canceled classes. Government offices and downtown businesses are closed. The city's fire chief spelled out the worst- case scenario.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF JOSEPH ROSE, TAUNTON, MASS., FIRE DEPT.: If the dam suffers a catastrophic failure, you'll get a release of all that built-up water and energy behind it. And as Einstein was fond to say, you cannot change the laws of physics. All that energy has to go somewhere. And that will be the destructive power of the water surging through the downtown area in the event that were to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The town is anxiously watching the situation as it unfolds. And so is our Dan Lothian. He joins us live now from Taunton with the latest.
Dan, good morning.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.
Well, in about 25 minutes or so, we do plan to hear from officials as they will be having a press conference, give us the latest information on the integrity of that dam. It is more than 100 years old. And officials are concerned that if it does give way, it will send a wall of water some six feet high into a community of some 100 homes, and then here into the downtown area, where we are at.
Now, take a look behind me. This is the Mill River. And this gives you a good idea of what is behind this problem.
We've had so much rain here recently, that this river is just swollen. It's flowing over its banks. It has even come up on to a street right next to me here.
So there's so much water in this river, and it's creating a lot of pressure behind that dam. And as I mention, it's very old, already has started to give way. In fact, early this morning, officials were saying that it could break at any moment. But it is still holding.
Nonetheless, they have issued a very strong evacuation order, urging people to get out of here while they still can. The governor, who has been criticized in the past couple of weeks for his slow response to excessive flooding in the western part of the state, has responded quickly to this one.
He has been here meeting with emergency management officials. And we are told he has also been touring the dam area. And he says there is a lot of reason to be concerned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. MITT ROMNEY (R), MASSACHUSETTS: I've got my fingers crossed that this thing is able to hold. Clearly, we're seeing an effect at the dam which is not as intended or engineered.
Water is going under the dam, it's going through some areas that are weakened. And there's every prospect that it will give way and we'll have a very significant water event.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LOTHIAN: Now, if there's any good news coming out of this, I talked with one official with the city, and he told me there is a secondary dam that there was so much concern that if the first one, that old wooden dam, gave way, that the second one would also break, creating a real catastrophic situation here. In essence, doubling the flow of water that was coming into this area. This official, though, told me that engineers have gotten a chance to go over that bridge, check it out in daylight, and they believe at this point that if that first bridge -- rather dam does give way, the second one will most likely hold -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK. And Dan, an update in a couple of minutes, maybe 20 minutes or so?
LOTHIAN: That's right. Expect to hear from the mayor, and certainly from the emergency management officials. They've been out there checking it out. And we hope to hear that it's still holding and perhaps will hold for the next few hours.
HARRIS: OK. Dan Lothian for us. Dan, thank you.
Let's bring in Dave Hennen in the CNN weather center.
And Dave, a couple of things we want to sort of -- I don't know, sort of parse out here and get our hands and arms around. First of all, the situation in Massachusetts, any rain in the immediate forecast? And then talk to us about the upgrading of Wilma to a hurricane now.
DAVE HENNEN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Tony. To answer your first question, not much rain in the forecast for Massachusetts. Maybe a little bit today, but not enough to aggravate the problem there too much. That, the good news.
The bad news is, we now have our 12th hurricane of the season. By the way, according to the National Hurricane Center, this now ties the record for the most hurricanes in a season at 12. That was set back in 1969. Twelve is also double the number of normal hurricanes that we see.
And as you can see, back down into the Caribbean here, here is the latest on Wilma. It has been strengthening all morning long and likely to continue to strengthen.
National Hurricane Center also saying that we need to watch out for the potential for this storm to rapidly intensify as we head on over the next couple of days. The reason for that, the conditions here in the western Caribbean are favorable for development. Very little in the way of wind shear. Those are the strong winds that, if they are too strong, tear a hurricane apart, if they're light, the hurricane has a chance to develop.
And very warm temperatures. I was looking at some of the buoy reports out here. The water temperature, 85 degrees. And certainly warm enough to support the hurricane as it continues to move to the northwest.
What's going to happen, though, as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico, it's going to get picked up by stronger winds. And we go from 8:00 a.m. Saturday here to just off our map, 8:00 p.m. Saturday.
So this is going to move very slowly over the next several days. But once it gets into the Gulf of Mexico, it's going to accelerate rather rapidly towards somewhere in the Florida coast. And again, don't focus on this line. The cone of error from parts of Cuba, all the way up to the panhandle, that's the area we're going to watch over the next couple of days, Tony, for the potential of a landfall. It looks like sometime now over the weekend.
HARRIS: OK, Dave. Thank you.
HENNEN: OK.
HARRIS: Now to the investigation into who leaked the identity of a CIA agent. And we don't know what's going on behind closed doors, but there's a report today that the probe is focusing on the vice president's office.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is with us from the White House.
And Suzanne, I can't imagine that Mr. Cheney's office is saying much about this at all today.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Cheney's office is saying what they usually say, and that's they're fully cooperating with the investigation. But here's what we can tell from you lawyers who are involved in the case, and also from Judy Miller's testimony herself from "The New York Times."
Essentially, is that the special prosecutor has been asking about Cheney's role in the grand jury proceedings, that he's been asking essentially whether or not he knew about to what extent his staffers were involved in talking about Valerie Plame, Joe Wilson's wife, and whether or not there was, among many theories, a conspiracy here. Whether or not his actions as well as his staff amounted to -- together causing a crime to be committed. That is the big question.
And we know that Cheney, as well as the president, have both answered questions not under oath, but at their offices, before the special prosecutor in the past. We know that there have been at least about a half-dozen of Cheney's staffers who have come before the federal grand jury also to answer questions. And, of course, Scooter Libby, who's his chief of staff, who's really been one of the people who has been the focus of the investigation.
HARRIS: Well, Suzanne, what do we know about his role and perhaps even his fate in all of this? MALVEAUX: Well, what we know from Miller, and what we know as well from sources inside this investigation, simply say that he has testified that, yes, he revealed to at least two reporters Valerie Plame, that that was Joe Wilson's wife. Not her identity by name, and not her covert status, but that he did talk about her.
What we also know is, at the time, what happened is the vice president's office was engaged in discrediting Wilson in a number of stories. First and foremost, that Joe Wilson said that they were trying to twist the intelligence when it came to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
Secondly, they were trying to discredit the story that he put out that it was Cheney's office, not the CIA, that had commissioned the trip to send him to Africa to see if Iraq was trying to gain uranium from Africa. That was one of the claims, essentially saying that they were trying to discredit Wilson's work and Wilson's report here because they believe -- they said it came from his wife, not from the CIA.
HARRIS: CNN's White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux for us.
Suzanne, thank you.
Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers handed in written responses to senators' questions this morning.
Congressional Correspondent Ed Henry has been looking over Miers' answers.
And Ed, what have you found?
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's interesting, Tony. In fact, we now see that in this questionnaire, in addition to the supporting documents turned over by Harriet Miers, there's been a lot of concern among conservatives that maybe she's not conservative enough on issues like abortion. These questions include a questionnaire that she submitted in 1989 to the anti-abortion group Texans United for Life.
This is when she was running for a city council seat. And here she expresses support for a constitutional amendment banning abortions, except in the case of the life of a mother.
Now, what's interesting is this is coming a day after Harriet Miers went behind closed doors with Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter. And as CNN first reported last night, Specter came out of that meeting and told reporters that in fact Harriet Miers said she believes the landmark Supreme Court ruling, Griswold versus Connecticut, from 1965, was in fact rightly decided.
That is (INAUDIBLE) of conservatives. They say that that is the case that basically laid the legal foundation for Roe v. Wade, legalized abortion in America. That causes great concern among conservatives. The White House saying that in fact she said no such thing to Arlen Specter. So it's very interesting this is now coming out. It's coincidental this questionnaire was supposed to come in today, but that one day after that flap, this is now coming out that she submitted this other questionnaire.
Also, question 27 on the Senate questionnaire about the selection process, she is asked very directly, Harriet Miers, "Has anyone involved in the process discussed with you any specific case, any legal issue?" She doesn't beat around the bush. She simply says, "No."
Also, "Did you make any representations to any individuals or interest groups about how you will rule on specific cases?" Again, "No."
That coming in the wake of these questions about whether or not conservative activists like James Dobson were given a wink and a nod, some signals that perhaps she would be with them on issues like abortion.
Finally, question 28, she's asked her views on judicial activism. She seems to hit the right notes for conservatives, basically saying, "The role of the judiciary in our system of government is limited."
That is important. That is a general bit of philosophy that conservatives generally subscribe to. We're hearing that, so far, so good on that answer.
But the bottom line is, she's going to have to answer a lot more tougher questions than this questionnaire in person, in mid-November, when she goes before the Senate Judiciary Committee. And that's when senators will be paying a lot more closer attention -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes. CNN's Congressional Correspondent Ed Henry.
Ed, thank you.
FEMA came under heavy criticism in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Coming up, a look inside the agency. Internal e-mails that show chaos between leaders in the days following Hurricane Katrina. Details just ahead.
Also, a first since 9/11 today in Washington. Private planes return to Reagan National Airport. The question is, why now? That story coming up.
And in Massachusetts, floodwaters rise, a dam falters, a massive evacuation grows more urgent. We're watching for any developments on that situation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Saddam Hussein's first criminal trial gets under way tomorrow. He'll faces charges of crimes against humanity in this Baghdad courtroom. Observers caution not to expect a western-style trial. Rather, the case will be heard by a five-person tribunal.
The former Iraqi leader is accused in the massacre of scores of people in the town of Dujail 1982. The alleged executions came after an assassination attempt on Hussein.
The defense is expected to try to quickly bring the trial to a halt. Analysts say defense motions will likely question the authority of the tribunal and seek greater access to documents.
The families that lost loved ones to the regime say they hope to get some justice finally.
CNN's Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Moussa (ph) family finally found what they were looking for, the fate of two young daughters, Karama (ph) and Halima (ph), and their 17-year-old son Mohammed. This document, stamped by Iraqi security headquarters, says they "executed the three criminals." They accused them of belonging to an anti-Saddam Shiite party.
Neshla (ph), their surviving sister, says, "I was only five years old when they stormed our house and dragged my sister out by her clothes. We lived in fear all the time. I knew when they took anyone we would never see them again."
For more than 20 years, their father, Nama Yussef Moussa, tried in vein to find out what had happened to his children.
"Every week I went to the security department," he says. "They humiliated and hit me. And that's the only answer I got from them."
(on camera): There are tens of thousands of Iraqis just like the Moussas who for decades have been victims of Saddam Hussein's petty political revenge. Although his trial will likely deal with the vast crimes against humanity and genocide committed during his rule, families like the Moussas say they, too, need justice.
(voice over): More than 300 mass graves have been unearthed so far in Iraq and testify to the massive crimes and atrocities committed by Saddam's regime. But the banality of his daily evil is reflected by the Moussa family tragedy.
"I am a mother who's lost her children and I need him to be punished," says Bahia Moussa.
"If I had the chance, I would hit that tyrant in the face," says her husband, Nama Moussa.
But Neshla, who saw her sister wrenched from the family, says a careful trial is too good for Saddam Hussein.
"Everyone knows Saddam is a criminal," she says. "We don't need this long process. He should be executed immediately."
They all say they are grateful that they have at least survived to see Saddam pay for his crimes.
Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And we are standing by for a press conference in about 20 minutes from city officials in Taunton, Massachusetts. We'll get an update on the situation with the dam there.
And also, at about 11:45 this morning, we'll speak with Senator Ted Kennedy. He'll update us on the situation in his home state.
Those stories and more still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers turned over a 64- page Senate questionnaire today. The document asks about such things as her longtime friendship with the president and whether she's given assurances to anyone about how she'd vote on particular issues. On that question the answer was a simple "No."
Arizona Senator Jon Kyl is calling on lawmakers to skip their annual pay raise to help cut federal spending. The cost of living increase is automatic unless members decide otherwise. It amounts to about $3,100 this year.
Swiss drug giant Roche says it will expand U.S. production of the flu drug Tamiflu. The company says it has FDA approval to build another Tamiflu manufacturing plant in the U.S. Tamiflu eases flu symptoms. Demand is growing worldwide with fears of a possible bird flu pandemic.
And lottery fever is spreading across the country. Tomorrow's Powerball drawing could be worth a record $340 million to a single winner. The game is played in 27 states and the District of Columbia.
And we are tracking an emergency situation in Taunton, Massachusetts. Officials say a dam on the river -- on the rain- swollen Mill River is deteriorating. If it breaks, it could send a six-foot wall of water into the downtown area.
The National Guard and state police are on standby in case it happens. About 2,000 residents have been told to evacuate. Schools and businesses are closed. And the highway patrol has blocked off major roads into Taunton.
Just a few moments ago we heard from the Massachusetts state senator, Marc Pacheco. And here's what he had to say about the situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARC PACHECO (D), MASSACHUSETTS STATE SENATOR: Well, as -- as of right as of this moment, everything that I've been privy to leads us to believe that things are stable. We're still in a wait-and-see mode. The engineers, the professionals, in dam management that are at the -- not only the Whittenton Dam, but also the Morris (ph) Bridge Dam here on the Mill River in downtown Taunton. So we're waiting and watching and waiting for the advice of the experts there, telling us that things are stable right now. Water has receded slightly. Thank God the sun is out, and we're praying that we don't have any more rain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And just want to let you know, that we are just minutes away, we understand, from a press conference in Taunton, Massachusetts, where we will get the latest information. There you see a live picture right now as that press conference is about to get under way. And you're looking now at the mayor of Taunton. It looks like he's about to begin speaking on the situation.
Let's take that live right now.
MAYOR ROBERT NUNES, TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS: I am mayor of the city of Tuanton. The city of Taunton is still in a state of emergency. The condition of the dam at Whittenton Mills has not deteriorated significantly over the past several hours.
Again, we encourage the residents who live along the Mill River to evacuate. All streets in the downtown area are closed. Major Winfield Danielson (ph) of the National Guard is with us this morning. He's the public affairs officer.
Currently in the city of Taunton, we have six two-and-a-half ton trucks, three Humvees, 21 National Guardsmen are in the Whittenton and downtown area. The Massachusetts state police, Bristol County Sheriff's Office, NEMA, TEMA, dive teams and divers are on the scene.
This morning, Governor Romney visited Taunton and met with local and state officials at the command center here at the basement at city hall. We then visited the evacuees at the shelter located at Taunton High School. The shelter is being managed by the American Red Cross and volunteers from the Taunton Emergency Management Agency. The evacuees are in good spirits, and some have even brought their pets.
At this time, there are 63 evacuees at the high school. We expect that to increase as the day moves along when people get home from work. Food is being provided by the food services department of the Taunton public schools and the local Stop and Shop. I have been in contact with Senator Kennedy, Senator Kerry, Congressman Frank, and they have called and offered their assistance of the federal government, and they will be working with FEMA and the department of agriculture. We will be briefed at 2:00 in the command center here at city hall, and sometime after that briefing we will have a press briefing. And we will let you know when that happens, most likely somewhere around 4:00 p.m.
Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson and his team of deputy sheriffs and command center have been in Taunton since Sunday, and they are working in partnership with the local police department and the Massachusetts State Police.
At this time, I would ask Sheriff Hodgson to say a few words.
SHERIFF TOM HODGSON, BRISTOL COUNTY: Good morning.
I really just want to take a moment to congratulate the mayor, the chief of police, for developing a collaboration of first responders. And there's been a lot of criticism over the past two years, really, about how well people are prepared. I think this is a great example of how it ought to work throughout the country. The mayor took initial steps, along with the chief of police, to bring in outside agencies from all different disciplines -- EMS, emergency management, NEMA, state police, our agency, other local agencies -- and really took a proactive step to be sure that in eventuality, something did happen, that we weren't all of a sudden developing relationships at a moment of crisis. It's so important. It's critical. And what they have done here, I think, is something that ought to be applauded and modelled throughout the country. It's exactly how it's supposed to work.
And to the citizens of Taunton, I would also offer my congratulations, because of their cooperation at a critical time when the mayor needed them to do the evacuations and do the things that were required to protect them and to protect this community. So again, that's the great story of all of this in a difficult time, that this is how it's supposed to work. And kudos to the city fathers, to the mayor and to the chief of police for coordinating all this in a very effective way to preserve life and to protect property.
NUNES: Thank you, sheriff -- Questions.
QUESTION: Mayor, how much longer is the downtown area going to be closed?
NUNES: Again, that's being monitored on a minute-by-minute basis, and it will continue to be closed for at least into the evening hours.
QUESTION: You say the dam has deteriorated significantly in the last several hours. What exactly do you mean? What condition is the dam in? Are you more confident that it will hold up now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Matt Bellisle (ph). I'm with Par (ph) Engineering, and we're representing the dam owners as their engineers. In response to your question, the condition of the dam is -- the state is being not deteriorating further. It's being monitored as we speak, to watch for changes or signs of additional distress on the structure, given the current loading.
QUESTION: Can you explain what happened at 2:00 this morning and then what has happened since then?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At around 2:00 this morning, there was evidence of additional water flowing through the structure, instead of over the top of the structure, which prompted some concern. That has been monitored throughout the morning for any changes that may indicate additional leakage areas.
QUESTION: So are you more confident that the dam will hold at this point than you were earlier?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've made it to this point from 2:00, and we're hopeful that everything will continue to work for us.
QUESTION: The water level has come down is our understanding. What's the cause of that? And is that a hopeful sign?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The water level does appear to be decreasing. That is due to the amount of water that is passing through the pond, the fact that the rain has stopped, and the -- most likely the runoff from the drainage area has decreased at this point.
QUESTION: Do you know how much the water has gone down? And are you implying that the situation is improving or staying the same?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The water level has decreased. I don't have an exact measurement right now. But I believe it's on the order of several inches. Yes, as water level decreases, it will be taking a load off the structure, and that's what everyone is looking for.
QUESTION: So if it decreases, it lessens the probability of the dam bursting?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, by relieving the pressure.
QUESTION: Are you still trying to relieve the pressure, as you were last night?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alternatives are still being evaluated to determine something that is practical and feasible.
QUESTION: How much more does the water have to drop to get to a normal level, or to a level that you think the dam can withstand?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's really going to depend upon a number of factors, that will have to be evaluated as the water level decreases.
QUESTION: Are we talking inches or feet?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Again, it's something that's going to be evaluated as the water level comes down.
QUESTION: Last night there was word that a breach was imminent. Are you now feeling like it's less likely there will be a serious breach?
NUNES: The city of Taunton and officials from the city of Taunton never used the word "imminent." We never said "imminent." And unfortunately that was sent out over the airwaves, but that did not come from city officials.
QUESTION: So what's the likelihood now of something more serious happening?
NUNES: Again, we're monitoring it minute by minute, and there are inspectors from dam safety on the scene, as well as officials from the police and fire departments.
QUESTION: Is it possible to pump the water out? If so, why or why not?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That option is being evaluated to determine how effective it would be and where do you put the water as it's being removed from the site.
QUESTION: What about Morris Dam. There was a mention of that yesterday, Morris Dam. Is there some concern about that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because the two structures are related, they were being evaluated simultaneously, and they're still being watched as a system that works integral to each other.
QUESTION: I understand there's a Silversmith, a manufacturing plant downstream. There could be some hazardous concerns. What's happening there right now? Is there water coming in there, and what are the concerns with the material that's used had there?
NUNES: We do have reports that water levels are increasing in that area, and the HAZMAT team is on site.
QUESTION: Mayor, you said the downtown is closed off. We were right outside. We were seeing a lot of traffic coming through. Could you tell me how closed off it is? Are you allowing people through?
NUNES: Again, the situation may be going back to their homes. Again, that is under the direction of the Taunton Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police.
(CROSSTALK)
QUESTION: ... canceled school today, but we see kids down by the river and wandering about.
NUNES: Again, it was a precautionary measure. We closed schools, because it would be in the best interest of the people who reside in our city.
QUESTION: What are the concerns with that area, if there was going to be a breach?
NUNES: Again, if there is a breach of the dam, not only will Reed and Barton be affected, but all downstream, from the Whittenton Mills to the downtown area. It will all be impacted.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As I indicated previously, the concern that was noted at 2:00 this morning was water was leaking through an area of the structure that was previously not leaking. And it's best for the water to flow over the top of the structure, and this is coming through the middle portion of it.
QUESTION: Is it still leaking?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, conditions have not changed. As we indicated earlier, the deterioration still exists.
QUESTION: Who was the dam last inspected and how did it fare?
NUNES: Two years ago.
QUESTION: And I heard the word "fare." Describe how it did?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have that information right now, but the structure was inspected. And I don't have any more information than that.
QUESTION: Can you just describe, you know, what does the dam look like, how old is it, is it made of wood or what, and how badly is the (INAUDIBLE)?
NUNES: It's a wood structure and it's over 100 years old.
QUESTION: Is there any insurance on that dam?
NUNES: The dam is privately owned. And obviously, that -- we'll be meeting. And let me just say that owners of the dam and the Whittenton Mills complex have cooperated with city officials. They are the ones, Sunday morning who notified the fire department and officials from MEMA. Matt, who is working our father company, has been on the scene since Sunday. They have cooperated with us, not only with the city of Taunton, but with all officials involved. And, obviously, we will be seeking out financial assistance from state and federal government for the situation at the dam.
QUESTION: Mayor, you've been here for most of the night.
NUNES: Yes.
QUESTION: Do you see the situation appear to be getting a little better? How are you feeling now?
NUNES: Again, we are monitoring the situation. It has been a long night. But let me just say that I applaud the efforts of everyone who have been involved in this effort. We are working together as a team. As the sheriff said, hopefully this will be a model for other communities to follow. We are erring on the side of caution and the people of our city is cooperating. and as mayor, I really, from the bottom of my heart, thank them. QUESTION: The people in New Orleans had some difficulties, I think, in dealing with FEMA when they moved in. Do you have any concerns about FEMA coming in and taking over?
NUNES: No, I do not have concerns because, again, we are working with MEMA, which is the Massachusetts agency. Senator Kennedy, Senator Kerry and Congressman Frank have assured me that they will be working with FEMA. They will be, obviously, our liaison. I understand representatives from the Department of Agriculture are en route and will be in the city over the next several hours.
QUESTION: Earlier you said that the evacuation was voluntary.
NUNES: Yes.
QUESTION: I was wondering, is it still voluntary? And do you have any sense of, along the mill river, how many people stayed behind?
NUNES: It is our understanding that most people have evacuated. Again, we will be out knocking doors in the afternoon to encourage people to evacuate. But for the most part, most of the people in the area have evacuated to either the high school or to be with family and friends.
QUESTION: It's still voluntary, right?
NUNES: For the most part, but we're strongly encouraging people to leave.
QUESTION: Who owns the dam and...
NUNES: Infinity Holdings.
QUESTION: Pardon me, sir?
NUNES: Infinity Holdings Company.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)
NUNES: I'm not sure of that
QUESTION: What do they do? I don't know anything about the company.
NUNES: They bought the property about three months ago. And I've met with them on several occasions about what they would like to see at the site. So as far as their business operations, you would need to speak to representatives from the company.
QUESTION: How is the dam functioning? What do they -- what do they do for...
NUNES: Well, years ago there was textiles at the site, and they would draw water from the river for the plant, but that is not the case now. And, really, there's nothing at the Whittenton Mills that needs the water from the river.
QUESTION: Is there anybody at fault here?
NUNES: Excuse me?
QUESTION: Is there anybody at fault here? (INAUDIBLE)
NUNES: Is there anyone at fault? Again, these present owner -- the previous owners of the dam and the present owners have always worked with the city of Taunton in the residence. So, no, we are not blaming fault, we are not putting blame or fault on anyone. This is not the time for that. We are working together and we will resolve that situation at the dam when the water levels are lower.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) for Infinity?
NUNES: I'm not sure of the company, but we worked with a gentlemen by the name of Neil Olken (ph).
QUESTION: Neil?
NUNES: Olker.
QUESTION: Mayor, Governor Romney is quoted saying -- going through some area over the weekend, and there's every prospect that it will give way and we'll have a very significant water event. It seems that you guys are backing off of those kinds of comments. Is that true?
NUNES: Again, I think the governor was talking about a possibility of that happening. And plus, when the governor was here yesterday and earlier this morning, the levels -- the water levels were high.
QUESTION: So the water levels going down...
NUNES: Yes.
QUESTION: ... has changed significantly your take on it?
NUNES: Yes.
QUESTION: When was the last time the dam was inspected?
NUNES: Two years ago.
QUESTION: What was the outcome of that inspection?
NUNES: Again, that -- we don't have -- at least I don't have the inspection reports. But I'm sure officials here do. It is my understanding that, obviously, if there were some issues, they would have been addressed at that time.
QUESTION: And two years ago is recent enough, it's not an annual sort of event?
NUNES: It is my understanding that is not a state requirement.
QUESTION: Can you talk about (INAUDIBLE) dam, what's it made of and how old it is?
NUNES: That dam's got to be at least over 100 years old as far as what it's being made of.
RED SHRIT: The Morris Dam is an earthen embankment dam, which differs from the timber dam down at the Mills Street location.
QUESTION: Can you describe any sort of deterioration that you've seen, if any, in the Mores Dam and exactly what it's doing to help out the other dam?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Mores Dam impounds Lake Sabattia. And the gates have been opened at that structure and are allowing the water to come out of the Lake Sabattia area and flow down to the lower dam. Those gates are being used to try to minimize the flows into their well, still addressing the need for discharge from that structure.
QUESTION: Have you seen any deterioration or stress on the Mores Dam?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this time, the structure's being monitored and there's no evidence of immediate concern at that structure.
QUESTION: If the Whittenton Dam were to breach, how would that impact the Mores Dam?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The two structures are integral to each other and they're being evaluated to determine what potential impacts could occur.
QUESTION: Can you explain how it's determined that a dam is about to go? Is there something visually that you see?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are several different factors that you'd look for. And it is all dependent upon the type of dam that it is. A lot of them are visual type scenarios that you can see and would be able to assess.
QUESTION: These divers that you have on hand, you have sent them down into the water yet?
NUNES: No, they are on the scene.
QUESTION: Will you be sending them down?
NUNES: If it's necessary, we will, but at this time, that is not necessary. They are along the banks of the Mill River and throughout the Whittenton and the downtown area.
QUESTION: Yesterday you described the timber members, that one had given way. Have any more suffered any damage that you know of?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no additional evidence at this point that additional timber members have weakened at this point.
HARRIS: And you've been listening to a press conference from city officials in Taunton, Massachusetts, led by the mayor, Robert Nunes. All the concern now is over -- still over a lot of concern over the Whittenton Pond Dam and whether or not it will hold.
The city of Taunton is still under a state of emergency. Residents along the Mill River are being asked to just flat-out leave. A lot of resources are being moved into the area just in case the dam bursts. Humvees, dive teams. You heard the mayor say a shelter has been set up for evacuees. So far, 63 evacuees are using that shelter. It is the Taunton High School.
Senators Kennedy and Kerry have telephoned officials in Taunton, offering their support. And in just a couple of moments on the other side of the break, we will talk to the senior senator from Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy, right after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And this just in to CNN, live pictures provided now to us by our affiliate in Baltimore, Maryland, WBAL. We're following this situation now. The Maryland Transportation Authority Police in Baltimore are diverting traffic off of the Harbor Tunnel Throughway, and this is in both directions approaching the harbor tunnel. And this is because of a, at this time, unspecified threat. Once again, you can see that it's causing quite a traffic jam. If you've ever been in the Baltimore area, you know that this is going to create quite a problem as folks try to get through the tollbooth there. But traffic is being diverted around the tunnel right now because of an unspecified threat.
We are going to continue to follow this situation, see if we can get a few more details on this story. But it is a major story for that area right now. This is a major throughway in Baltimore, taking traffic across the Harbor area, under the Harbor. So we'll continue to follow this story and get you additional information as soon as we can.
We'll take a break and come with more CNN LIVE TODAY right after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUESTION: Busy morning. New pictures into CNN, live pictures now from WFLA, our affiliate in Tampa, Florida. Look at this. You can see there that a truck with a crane on it has tipped, toppled over, and has crashed on to the top of a restaurant. This is in Tampa, Florida. Don't know the extent of any injures, of anyone who was inside of the restaurant at the time. It looks as though it may be a restaurant under construction or under renovation right now.
But there's the scene, and the restaurant obviously in a strip mall there in Tampa, Florida. A crane has toppled over on to a restaurant. We'll continue to follow the story and figure out whether or not there were any injuries associated with that accident. And we've been reporting all morning on the possibility that a dam may fail near Taunton, Massachusetts. Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts joins us from the Russell Rotunda on Capitol Hill.
And, Senator Kennedy, good to talk to you. Thanks for taking the time. We understand that you were in another hearing on homeland- security and border-security issues. So Thank you for taking the time to talk to us.
First of all, what have you heard specifically about the situation on the ground there in Taunton?
SEN. TED KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Well, just moments ago Mayor Nunes, who's doing really an extraordinary job, announced that it was still a very, very delicate and dangerous situation, but there has been some progress. The water has receded, but it's measured in inches. But there's also a good deal of creeking. This is an old dam, 100 years old, wood, and there have been the second evacuation of more than 2,000 homes there.
Generally the flooding has taken place through streams all over Massachusetts, and Worcester, and Brockton, and Springfield and Greenfield. Every river in our state has felt the impact of this. It is particularly acute in Taunton, Massachusetts.
HARRIS: And senator, for those of us not familiar with that area, certainly not as familiar as you are, we've heard some depictions of a worst-case scenario. We understand that a number of resources are being moved into the area. But for those of us who don't know that area, what does a worst case scenario, say the dam does burst, what would that mean?
KENNEDY: Well, first of all, I think because of the action of Mayor Nunes and the community leaders, both the state and local leaders, the families have been evacuated from their homes and their residences. There are a few that have been extremely reluctant to do so. So I think we're looking at not the kind of extraordinary loss of life that has taken place in other flood areas, but a very, very serious loss of in terms of homes, and it means in some six or seven feet of water in the downtown of a major, important city in our Commonwealth of Massachusetts. That's why we believe that it ought to be -- Massachusetts ought to be designated a federal disaster area.
HARRIS: I see.
KENNEDY: Most of the families in the communities along rivers of Massachusetts, this is such a unique circumstance, they don't have the flood insurance. And if we get FEMA in there, which is really the purpose for FEMA, it does provide some help and assistance for these families to be able to repair and rebuild their homes. They're going to have damage that far exceeds the kind of help and assistance that FEMA would provide, but it would give them a step up, a hand up at a very difficult and challenging time. These are basically blue collar working families. They're retired families. They're elderly people. They're people of very limited resources and limited income.
HARRIS: I see.
KENNEDY: And that's why the designation would be very, very important not only for Taunton, but the rest of Massachusetts.
HARRIS: And, senator, you mentioned it, a 100-year-old timber dam. Is it time to rebuild some of these dams with some stronger materials?
KENNEDY: Well, I think that's, obviously, something that all of the communities are going to be looking at after this particular challenge, many of the communities. These are communities that have gone through some very difficult and challenging...
HARRIS: Senator...
KENNEDY: Yes?
HARRIS: Senator, I'm sorry...
KENNEDY: OK, thank you very much.
HARRIS: I have to interrupt you. We appreciate your time.
KENNEDY: Good to be with you.
HARRIS: And let's take you down to the White House where earlier today the president met with the E.U. president, the European Union president, Jose Manuel Barroso. Let's hear from the president.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... wants the E.U. to succeed, wants to work in collaboration to achieve some big objectives.
One is to lay the foundation for peace by spreading democracy and freedom. And I appreciate your understanding, and thank you for working closely on that.
Secondly, is to help enhance the prosperity of our respective countries, as well as the world, through promoting free and fair trade. We talked about what it requires to get the Doha round moving forward.
We had a good, frank discussion on that. And there's no question we share the same objective.
We talked about what we can do to work together to move forward on a lot of issues.
The main thing I came away from again is, one, I value Jose's leadership, his advice; but also how important the relationship between the E.U. and the United States is and that we can achieve a lot of important things when we work together.
So welcome back. Thank you for hosting me last winter. Proud to have you here.
JOSE MANUEL BARROSO, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN UNION COMMISSION: Thank you very much.
It's a great pleasure for me to be once again here in the White House with President Bush. I thank him and the first lady for kind and friendly hospitality.
As President Bush said, these relations very important, first of all, because we share exactly the same values of freedom, democracy and human rights, and we complement each other in pushing forward this agenda.
But also, in economic terms, we have now a trade relation of more than $1 billion a day.
BARROSO: So together we are 40 percent of all trade.
So we have a common interest in opening up markets. We very much in the European Union are looking forward for a success of those talks. We want it to have ambitious and balanced results on agriculture, but not only agriculture.
And I want to underline this point. Service (ph), for instance, is very important, so that our citizens can really see the benefits of a globalization. And we want to work together, the United States also, engaging others, the emerging markets, but also thinking about the least-developed countries, engaging them constructively for the success of these talks.
These were the main issues that I had the pleasure, once again, to discuss with President Bush in a very frank and friendly manner. I really believe we have a lot to do together, the European Union and the United States.
BUSH: Thanks, Jose. Appreciate you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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