Get ready to hear questions about chemical weapons among the usual slew of credit card and long-distance calling plan pitches that interrupt your evenings.
Between 600 and 800 Calhoun County residents will be polled on a range of issues related to the Army's plans to destroy its stockpile of chemical weapons at the Anniston Army Depot. The telephone poll is part of a project being conducted by a class at Texas A&M through an institute at the University of New Mexico.
The 92-question survey ranges widely in its lines of inquiry on the issue, from how the participant would react to a chemical accident to how he or she views certain local and federal agencies to whether equipping the community with protective gear would foster a feeling of security.
The survey also asks the participant what he or she thinks should be done with the weapons stored at the depot and whether incineration is a trustworthy technology.
In addition to safety concerns, the survey touches on economic issues stemming from PCB pollution in Anniston and the incinerator.
After a few questions about age and gender, the survey creates a hypothetical home-buying situation involving a three-bedroom house in "an Anniston suburb" without any PCB pollution. A realtor informs the participant about the pollution as well as storage risks from the chemical weapons and says that the seller "would finance the house and charge no closing costs." The survey then asks whether the participant would buy the house at a price that apparently varies from call to call.
The results of the poll, which is billed as "public policy research" will be reported to Rep. Bob Riley, but it seems unlikely the results will have any political impact. Though the Ashland Republican has been active in trying to ensure that the incinerator is safe and that the community around the depot is prepared for a chemical accident, Riley did not commission the study and won't use the results to shape policy, a Riley spokesman said.
"We will review it when we get it," said Pepper Bryars, Riley's press secretary. "But we're not expecting to use this to develop any sort of policy as far as incineration goes."
Bryars said a professor at Texas A&M contacted a Riley staff member to see if the congressman would receive the results.
The survey was developed as part of a public policy class at the university. However, an institute at the University of New Mexico was hired to implement the study
"We're really just trying to get a feel for their preferences, policy attitudes and level of trust for various government groups," said Amy Goodin, who manages the survey research center at the Institute for Public Policy at the university.
Members of the Calhoun County Commission said they were not aware of the study.
"I'm glad someone is finally doing it," said Robert Downing.
