The federal government plans to release more than $6 million of controversial emergency preparedness funds, a spokesman for Rep. Bob Riley said Friday.
The money, to be released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will pay for upgrades to software that would be used to track a plume of chemical agent if released from the Anniston Army Depot, where a stockpile of nerve and blister agent is slated to be destroyed in an incinerator.
The Calhoun County EMA has long sought the enhancements, which were approved by a Pentagon official last year as part of a $40.5 million funding package. Until now, however, FEMA and the Army have stalled the funding..
Neither the county nor the federal agencies would comment on the prospective release of the money, while the politicians close to the maneuvering surrounding a total of $15 million in preparedness funding were quick to claim a small victory in the effort to free up all the funding.
"This is great news for the community," said Riley, R-Ashland, in a written statement. "While the process has been frustrating, it's good to finally see significant progress being made."
A spokeswoman for Gov. Don Siegelman, who has sued the federal government over the emergency preparedness dispute, said the governor will continue to seek the other preparedness measures that are in controversy. FEMA is currently holding up more than $9 million that is earmarked for protective equipment for first responders and residents near the depot.
"Of course we're glad to get this money for software, but until we get money for the hoods and equipment
that has been guaranteed by the federal government
they will not be able to strike one match for incineration," said the spokeswoman, Carrie Kurlander.
Software upgrades for EMIS - the term for the system Calhoun County uses - have long been a problem for local EMA officials. They have insisted on using the kind of software that is in place in the depot's emergency operations center, despite a federal effort to move users on to a competing system, known as FEMIS.
Calhoun County and Army officials alike view FEMIS as an inferior product, though other counties near the depot use it.
In December, FEMA decided to delay the $6 million for upgrades until a February conference on the software issues. There, users from all over the nation heard pitches from software vendors on other systems and discussed what they need from the systems.
Calhoun County EMA officials boycotted the event.
Assistant Metro Editor Samantha Quigley contributed to this report.
