Anniston Star
July 8, 2003

Army decides against neutralization at depot

By Nathan Solheim
Star Staff Writer
07-08-2003

The Army has decided against building a chemical-weapons neutralization facility at the Anniston Army Depot.

The development leaves the Army with one method of destroying agent at the chemical weapons stockpile - incineration.

Commissioner Robert Downing, a leading critic of the Army's preparedness and incineration plans, said he was disappointed by the decision.

"Until we have a contingency plan, we will never have a 'Plan B' in case there are insurmountable problems related to the incineration facility," Downing said. "It's just a very stubborn, heals-dug-in mentality on the part of Col. Ray. And it's not what we need to ensure that we rid the county of these weapons at the earliest possible time."

Downing referred to Col. Nancy Ray, an Army official charged with eliminating chemical weapons, who wrote the letter turning down the commission's request.

In the letter, Ray said a contingency plan is not necessary and won't enhance protection to humans or the environment.

Ray also wrote that it would take about five years to construct and staff a neutralization facility and such a delay would increase the risk to the community by continued storage of the aging weapons.

She also said neutralization facilities are not proven to operate more safely than incinerators.

The commission has not formally responded to the Army's decision, but the Kentucky-based Chemical Weapons Working Group called the reasons for the denial outlined in Ray's letter "offensive," "arrogant" and "false."

Calhoun County Commissioners requested in May that the Army build such a facility as a backup for the chemical weapons incinerator. The contingency plan, commissioners said at the time, would allow the Army to continue destroying agent and munitions if the incinerator were shut down for any reason.

But Commissioner Eli Henderson said the Army has made significant safety improvements to the incinerator:

"From what I've seen, I feel assured that if we have some problems, they'll be of the nature where they're in-house and they can take care of it."