The Office of the Secretary of Defense held a meeting in Anniston Thursday to address Gov. Don Siegelman's concerns about Calhoun County's emergency preparedness in the event of a chemical weapons accident at the Anniston Army Depot. It was attended by nearly every key decision-maker involved in the issue.
But those who didn't attend may be more notable - the Calhoun County Commission.
Citing a scheduling conflict with the annual Alabama County Commissioners Association convention in Point Clear, no commissioners attended the meeting. Also absent was Mike Burney, the director of the Calhoun County Emergency Management Association.
The commission did not send its lobbyist, David Springer, for representation.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had set up a board to resolve emergency preparedness issues raised by Gov. Siegelman in an April letter.
"We are committed to resolving these issues," said Pat Wakefield, the director of chemical demilitarization at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. "The Secretary of Defense takes this issue very personally. He takes Gov. Siegelman's letter very personally."
That letter closely follows the county's 12-point safety checklist, including such points as the need for 24-hour staffing at the Calhoun County EMA, the need for more data on the toxicity of the nerve agent stored at the depot, and the need for more collective protection shelters.
The Office of the Secretary of Defense had invited Calhoun County commissioners Randy Wood and James "Pappy" Dunn, as well as Burney, to participate in Thursday's discussions.
Dunn was in San Antonio, Texas on a personal trip. Burney could not be reached for comment Thursday, and was said by a receptionist at the Calhoun County EMA to be out of town.
The County Commission said in a written statement to the group that it had told the Office of Secretary of Defense that it would be out of town this week.
In the statement, the commission complained that it wasn't allowed any say in the composition of the board and that many of the board's members were hostile to their position.
The Calhoun County Commission and EMA each sent people to take notes on the meeting.
Dr. Anna Johnson-Winegar, deputy assistant to the Secretary of Defense, apologized for the scheduling conflict and said she is committed to get the commission's involvement at the next meeting, slated for September.
The board has 21 members, many of them federal officials from Washington D.C., who could not rearrange their schedules, she added.
In addition to representatives of the Secretary of Defense, the board includes Army officials, representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local representation from Anniston Mayor Chip Howell, Oxford Mayor Leon Smith and Duane Higgins, president of the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce.
"We have tried to be inclusive," Wakefield said. "Everyone has a right to be concerned and we are here to address the concerns of all the stakeholders."
Under his guidance, the board hit each issue one-by-one. Wakefield asked for progress reports, deadlines and funding requirements for each of the 12 points.
Without the county's input, some of the issues became muddled. When the discussion turned to the need for an upgraded software system for the Calhoun County EMA, no one knew exactly what the agency needs and what the problems are with its current system.
"I'm in the difficult and awkward position of trying to explain them," said Lt. Col. Bruce Williams, head of the chemical weapons stockpile, as he tried to relate the county's concerns over its present software system.
The board did resolve other issues on the 12-point checklist. An agreement to provide three more workers and 24-hour staffing at the county EMA awaits only a signature from Burney, said Dan Civis, head of FEMA's chemical stockpile emergency preparedness program.
Civis also said his agency is willing to use new nerve agent toxicity data to help Calhoun County define its so-called "pink zones." Pink zones are the closest residential areas to the Anniston Army Depot, that are most vulnerable in the event of a chemical weapons accident.
With 24-hour staffing at the county EMA, Williams said, the pink zones would receive a warning during an accident within five minutes. That warning would also go out with a recommendation to shelter-in-place.
Shelter-in-place calls for residents to seal themselves in an interior room using plastic and duct tape around the door and windows. County Commissioners have said shelter-in-place will not suffice.
Wakefield asked if the county would accept that recommendation and the shelter-in-place kits.
"Without them here, we can't really address any resources they would require," said Lt. Col. Paula Lantzer, the Army's CSEP Program manager.
After six hours, the board was unable to plow through all of the 12 points. Wakefield assigned board members the task of deciphering the problems surrounding the remaining points and reporting back next month, when the board will meet again.
Dr. Johnson-Winegar asked for the group to meet as soon as possible.
"Clearly this is a high-priority problem. We've got to resolve it," she said. "Time is of the essence here, folks."
