Bellevue abortion clinic operated without occupancy permit

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/bellevue-abortion-clinic-operated-without-occupancy-permit-1.1631300

Ryan Boetel

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Published: Thursday, March 26, 2009

Updated: Thursday, March 26, 2009

A Bellevue health center that offers abortions performed several earlier this month without having an occupancy permit.

The Abortion and Contraception Clinic of Nebraska was closed down after it was damaged during a fire in January. Steve Carmichael, Bellevue’s chief building inspector, said the clinic had passed the fire, plumbing, mechanical and electrical inspections but had not been issued an occupancy permit.

Carmichael went to inspect the clinic on March 9 and saw staff members and patients waiting in the lobby.

“And a couple of (patients) were in the middle of procedures,” he said.

The procedures that were in process when he entered the building were finished, Carmichael said, but the clinic was closed that afternoon.

The clinic had not been issued the final permit, Carmichael said, because of a hole in one of the walls near where the fire started. He said the problem was sufficiently fixed that same day, an occupancy permit was granted and the clinic opened the next morning.

FULL story at link.

[Mojambo]

1. Okay. All those abortions are officially null and void. n/t

[iverglas]

2. the actual interesting bit, I thought

Mike Stucker, a Bellevue fire investigator, said the fire that started it all back in January is still under investigation. He wouldn’t say if a fire at a clinic that performs abortions raises eyebrows.

Raised mine.

It's a little hard to decipher, but it seems that the only reason an occupancy permit was needed in March was that the premises had to be repaired following a fire in January.

“We believe many women have been forced to go out of state for affordable abortion services in that period,” she <Planned Parenthood spokesperson> said of the time when the Bellevue clinic was closed.