This area has long lived under the threat of a chemical weapons accident at the Anniston Army Depot and our community should have been prepared for such a possibility years ago. Only now, however, are we beginning to get prepared. That's because the Army is getting ready to start burning the weapons. That does not signal a stepping up of the danger, but it is providing an opportunity for everyone to become more educated about what is to happen and what the dangers are.
In the unlikely event of an accident it is important for you to know what to do. It was important years ago and it is important now.
It is unfortunate, then, that the leaders of the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency and the County Commission have chosen not to participate in a public education campaign about this issue. The reasons are complicated and many, but the bottom line is the people of Calhoun County need to know this information and they are not getting it.
That has to change.
The commissioners and EMA leaders should join with surrounding counties immediately in informing the public about what to do in case of an emergency. They should not waste any more time.
That said, the commission and the EMA do have a number of legitimate concerns that need to be addressed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Pentagon. These requests, which range from more staffing at the EMA, to a request for protective hoods, to more radios and sirens, seem reasonable and should be accepted by the federal officials.
The price for these items (around $30 million) sounds like a lot, but when you are talking about the safety of the community, it is not a big price tag at all.
The commission and the EMA, then, should move forward with a public education campaign and the federal officials should secure funding for the county.
There are other issues that are not tied to immediate public safety needs, but should be addressed nonetheless. They include a request for $70 million in funds to help offset the adverse economic impact to the area.
Again this is not an unreasonable amount of money, but it should not hold up emergency preparedness.
A health and environmental baseline study should also be performed in our community. There is no excuse for not doing this one.
We also continue to be concerned about emissions. More studies and frequent monitoring should take place so that pollutants can be more accurately monitored.
All of these issues should be addressed as soon as possible, but in the meantime we should know what to do in case of an accident.
