Shelby pens bill to assure safety at depot

By Matthew Creamer
Star Staff Writer
12-11-2001

Shelby Legislation pending in Washington would require three officials to sign off on a host of safety concerns before the incineration of chemical weapons begins at the Anniston Army Depot. The Army is scheduled to begin burning its stockpile of blister and nerve agents at the depot in June 2002. If the proposed provision becomes law, the burns won't begin without the approval of a majority of four officials: the governor of Alabama, the chairman of the Calhoun County Commission, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisitions, Technology and Logistics. The provision, authored by Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, is part of the defense spending bill that was passed by the Senate over the weekend. The bill will go through a conference committee before going to the House of Representatives and the Senate. "Sen. Shelby believes additional steps must be taken to address safety issues," said spokesperson Andrea Andrews. This particular step isn't expected to clash with another piece of legislation that could hold up the process of destroying the stockpile. A bill proposed this summer by Rep. Bob Riley, R-Ashland, would create a six-member board to make a recommendation as to the readiness of the community. According to a Riley spokesman, the bill that would create the board is in conference committee and could be signed into law within weeks. As written, the bill would require the Undersecretary of Defense to either accept or reject the board's findings. A rejection would mean that incineration would be delayed for 90 days while the undersecretary made a case for his decision before Congress. Shelby's provision, in contrast, would prevent the startup of incineration until approval is obtained. Language in the Senate legislation cites local and state officials' concerns over emergency preparedness in the community surrounding the depot and its more than 2,000 tons of chemical weapons. The areas to be addressed by the officials closely follows the 12-point checklist sent by Gov. Don Siegelman to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld last spring. These issues include toxicity data on the chemical agents stored at the depot, 24-hour staffing of the county emergency operations center, updated computer systems for the center, and the development of protection plans for those with special needs. In November, the Department of Defense agreed to meet 11 of the 12 points and appropriated $40.5 million to pay for the safety measures. This, however, is money the county has yet to see. Since the funds were promised, county officials have been publicly wary that the appropriation would be a long time in coming. They hailed Shelby's provision as a way of making sure their demands will be met. "It assures the people of Calhoun County that the government will fund their safety," Commission Chairman Randy Wood said. Commissioner Lea Fite, who will take over chairmanship of the commission in January, emphasized that he is more concerned about stockpiling the moldering weapons than he is about burning them. He said that not all of the county's emergency preparations have to be in place for him to approve. "If we're ready, or we're in the process of getting ready, if the money comes down like they promised, I will sign off," he said. Fite wasn't concerned that he would be the lone dissenting voice when it came time to make for the four officials to make their decisions on readiness. "Everybody has a vote and everybody has an opinion," he said. "The main thing is they have their consciences to live with."

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