Here's a bit of good news: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has decided to put a representative in town permanently to help sort out communication problems with the Calhoun County Commission.
And the man FEMA has tapped, Don Cornell, is not only qualified, he is a county resident. So this, we trust isn't just show. FEMA seems to be serious in its attempts to try to solve problems with the commission and to move forward in educating the public of what to do in case something happens at the Anniston Army Depot and coming up with a plan of action.
All good things. Our question, however, is, why did it take so long? Yes, it looks as though FEMA has moved fast and hard on this one. But in fact it was only with the publication of a critical General Accounting Office report that found the county unprepared for any possible accident at the Depot that FEMA made the move to appoint the permanent representative.
Oh, don't get us wrong. We're happy to have Mr. Cornell. But the fact is, the stockpile has been at the Depot for decades now and has presented a danger, albeit it slight, since day one. Now with incineration on the horizon - an event that will reduce the danger of an accident - suddenly agencies move into action.
That's a backward way of going about it. But at least it looks as though we might be moving in the right direction, which would, of course, be toward preparing the community.
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