A little more than a week after he sued to halt the chemical weapons incinerator, Gov. Don Siegelman Friday once again took aim at the federal agency that administers the local emergency preparedness program for a chemical accident.Siegelman, who has accused the Federal Emergency Management Agency of reneging on an agreement to provide the Calhoun County area with $40.5 million worth of protective measures, said the agency continues "to toy with the safety of our citizens."
"It is unfortunate that some federal bureaucrats continue to negotiate in bad faith, while the safety of Alabama's citizens rests with our ability to find a solution," he said in a written press release.
A FEMA spokesman said the agency has released $25 million of the funding, most to the Alabama EMA and some directly to contractors.
The remaining $15.5 million, which would be spent on protective equipment and software upgrades for the local EMA, has been held up by FEMA because the agency disapproves of the items for which the money is earmarked. In a lawsuit filed Feb. 14, the governor asked a federal judge to prevent test burns at the Army's incinerator until the emergency preparations are provided.
Calhoun County EMA Director Mike Burney did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Rip Andrews, a spokesman for Siegelman, said updates on the status of the emergency preparedness program's funding could be a weekly event.
