Liability Concerns??

[Lloyd Danforth]

Clothesline Flap in Greenwich

     GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) _ Officials in a Connecticut town are facing criticism for banning clotheslines at public housing complexes.
     The Greenwich Housing Authority approved the prohibition recently because of liability concerns. But now the panel is under fire from environmental groups, tenants and politicians.
     A New Hampshire environmental lobbying organization, Project Laundry List, is urging officials to repeal the ban, saying hanging clothes on lines saves money and energy. The group says dryers are much more dangerous, causing 17,000 fires a year nationwide.
     Housing Authority Commissioner Bernadette Settelmeyer insists the ban is needed. She says clotheslines are difficult to see when nothing is hanging from them, which can lead to accidents the town might be liable for.