The Star’s April 11 editorial, “Decisions: And the gas mask plan,” proves yet again that The Star’s editorial board is not the end- all—be-all authority on chemical weapons. In fact, when you get right down to the heart of it, they know very little about it at all. Yet they feel compelled to spout off misconceptions and half-truths as if it were the gospel, which is both irresponsible journalism and a disservice to the community.The editorial reads, “Now that the Calhoun County Commission and EMA have received the sought-after hoods ...” Evidently the Editorial Board is not reading its own paper. The county has not received hoods, nor have we received funding to purchase hoods. What we have received are excuses, delays and bureaucratic run-around.
FEMA is asking the impossible and should know any such purchase must meet federal bid laws. The County Commission recently approved a contract with Jacksonville State University to develop a request for proposal, but once the request is complete, we will again be at a standstill unless funds are available to support the project. We do not have these funds and cannot place a bid on the street without them.
No, the county does not have “everything that they have asked for,” as The Star claims. The county does not have funding for the hoods; schools, hospitals and other special facilities remain unprotected; and the depot refuses to sound the sirens for people living in the “pink zones.” These are just a few of the unresolved issues that are critical if we are to protect the people of this county.
The Star loves to criticize county officials for “dragging their feet.” Evidently The Star’s editors have been living under a rock for the past 10 years and are unaware that county officials have been asking all along for emergency protection in the event of a chemical accident.
With statements such as “the only thing on track is the incinerator,” people are beginning to wonder if the truth is deliberately being overlooked or if The Star’s Editorial Board is simply ignorant that surrogate trial burns were delayed because of equipment malfunctions.
In fact, the entire demilitarization program should have been completed by 1998, but we now know it will be at least 2014. Nothing in the CSEPP program, locally or nationally, is on track because federal officials refuse to provide the necessary safety measures as required by law. These failures have been documented time and time again.
The people of this community did not ask for a chemical stockpile to be dumped in their backyard, nor did they ask for an incinerator to be built without any protective measures in place. But that’s exactly what they got. We all hope these weapons are destroyed safely, without incident, but it’s the local people who will suffer most if an accident does occur. They are the most defenseless among your subscribers, and they have no protection - much less an attorney.
Michael A. Burney
Executive Director
Calhoun County EMA
