Incinerator progress

In our opinion
04-09-2004

It’s been known from the outset that the mission to destroy Anniston’s chemical weapons stockpile would be a long and costly process, filled with starts and stops, delays and frustrations. Sometimes the delays are more frustrating to the administrators of the Anniston Army Depot’s chemical weapons incinerator than they are to the public at-large. While both incinerator officials and the public desire to see the process go forward as smoothly and safely as possible, those who work and administer the facility also must deal with costs of operation, worker safety issues, and pesky federal regulators, such as those from the Environmental Protection Agency. Recently, the incinerator went through an exercise of retesting in an effort to meet EPA standards regarding quantities of PCBs discovered in its stack emissions. This came after the EPA notified incinerator operators that the facility had failed to satisfy regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act in previous testing. Last week the incinerator finished retesting, and this week the EPA agreed that the latest results are within regulation. Which means the incinerator will soon begin the destruction of M-55 rockets, filled with deadly GB nerve agent, at the rate of 16 rockets per hour, roughly half the rate it has demonstrated in test burns. Thus far the facility has destroyed more than 50 percent of the Anniston Army Depot’s M-55 rocket stockpile, an important milestone that shows, among other things, that the facility is outperforming previous incinerators at Johnston Atoll and Tooele, Utah. That level of performance is to be commended, and it is certainly nice to know that the risk to the community has been cut down proportionately with the reduction in the stockpile. Yet those who live and work in this region also have safety concerns, and given the community’s recent history regarding PCBs it is understandable that any tests involving PCBs would be placed under the severest scrutiny. So, good for the EPA for holding to its regulations, and good for the Army and the incinerator for retesting in such a timely yet meticulous manner. Hopefully, the facility will continue to perform at or above expectations, and those who monitor its progress will continue to speak up when and if the occasion necessitates. Before this process is finished there will no doubt be even more delays and frustrations, yet learning lessons from them and pressing on, in a safe and steady manner, will be the best course for all concerned.

About our editorial page

Address letters to Speak Out, The Anniston Star, P.O. Box 189, Anniston, AL 36202. Please limit letters to 200 words. Letters may be edited for length, libel and taste. All letters are confirmed with the author before publication.