Anniston Star

Speak Out for May 31

By our readers
05-31-2001

Safety checklist

The Star's recent editorial entitled, "Power Letters: Governor, Commission are Right to Ask for Action," was absolutely on point. We applaud The Star for demanding action on our safety checklist, our long-standing request for an environmental baseline health study and for the federal government to provide a proper level of funding for emergency preparedness in Calhoun County in order to make certain the federal government meets its duty to provide "maximum protection" to our citizens.

The Star was also totally correct in commending Gov. Don Siegelman for taking the initiative to write to President Bush and to demand a response to the letter he wrote to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld almost a month ago. In his letter to Secretary Rumsfeld, the governor laid out the safety investments and improvements the federal government must make here in Calhoun County before the state of Alabama will issue a permit to allow the process of destroying the chemical stockpile at the Anniston Army Depot to begin.

Gov. Siegelman is totally committed to making certain the health and safety of our citizens are protected. As The Star knows, we must address each of these problems before that final permit is issued by the state. The Army has so far failed to hear the requests of Calhoun County in its attempt to get the federal government to meet its "maximum protection" duty. The Army will go stone deaf as soon as it gets the burn permit from the state.

The Star has long advocated the need to destroy the 2,300 tons of deadly chemical and nerve agents in our back yard as safely and quickly as possible. We are happy The Star is focusing its attention on the many problems which stand in the way. We are confident that, if The Star will use its considerable influence to push the Federal bureaucrats in Washington, we will make much-needed headway. Like The Star, we are looking for much more than "a timely response." We want solutions to all of the outstanding problems.

Calhoun County Commission:
Randy Wood, Chairman
James A. Dunn
Robert W. Downing
James Eli Henderson
Lea Fite