Anniston Star
August 2, 2003

Incinerator's starting date brings varied responses

By J.Wes Yoder
Star Staff Writer
08-02-2003

With the Army at last set to begin the disposal of Anniston's arsenal of chemical weapons, many local leaders said Friday they are pleased.

Wednesday, the first of thousands of Cold War-era munitions stored at Anniston Army Depot will be put in an incinerator designed to purge the community of a handicap and a fear.

"I and this community have lived with a threat for way too long," said Anniston Mayor Chip Howell.

While some residents fear incineration, Howell said he fears the continued storage of the weapons, some of which have begun to decay and leak. "In my opinion, the risk begins to reduce the minute they begin the incineration," he said

For the past decade, the Army's incineration plan has been among Anniston's most divisive issues. A strident few have fought to prevent the burning, insisting that such a process is suited for unpopulated deserts and remote islands, not for the cradle of a community. With their defeat apparently sealed, these opponents continue to fume.

"It is irresponsible to even consider deploying this type of technology in a populated area such as Anniston," said Craig Williams, executive director of the Chemical Weapons Working Group, based in Kentucky.

Monday, the group will ask for a temporary restraining order in the Washington, D.C. federal court in a last-ditch effort to halt the Army's plan, arguing that more preparedness is needed for the event of a depot emergency, Williams said.

"The safety checklist has not been met," said Brenda Lindell, of Families Concerned About Nerve Gas Incineration. "The Army obviously doesn't care about community preparedness."

But most local officials say they believe the Army has provided ample preparedness opportunities to the public. They say the collection of blister and nerve agents is the area's blackest eye, and that eliminating the stockpile will help to heal Anniston's nationally battered reputation.

"It's kind of been a shadow over us that needs to be lifted," said Sherri Sumners, president of the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce.

To her, the matter is serious, but simple.

"The incinerator is not the problem," she said. "The stockpile is the problem."

Gov. Bob Riley had asked the Army to give him the authority to stop the incineration if he found cause at any time. The Army did not grant the request, but Riley has offered his support of the startup.

"The governor at this point is ready to move forward," said Riley's press secretary, David Azbell.

The start of the school year coincides with the start of the incinerator. Because protective measures have not been completed at seven area schools, the Army will operate the incinerator only on weeknights and weekends until all of the schools have been equipped with proper air filtration systems. That work is scheduled to be finished Oct. 1.

U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers, the son of a retired depot worker, agrees with the governor.

"Congressman Rogers is fully supportive of the incineration starting up next week," said Rob Jesmer, Rogers' chief of staff. "He feels there are adequate safety precautions in place for this limited burn, and the remaining things that need to be done will be done."

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby said he will work to make sure those precautions are met before the incinerator burns full time.

"My concerns for the safety of the Anniston community will not diminish as the Army begins operations," Shelby said in a written statement. "I strongly encourage the Army to proceed quickly to complete the remaining safety measures and trust that the Army will limit destruction operations until these items are fully implemented."

The weapons are being destroyed because of an international treaty. The Army operates other incinerators, but Anniston's will be the first located in a populated area. This is a sore point for Dr. N.Q. Reynolds, who pastors 17th Street Baptist Church in western Anniston.

"I think they're crazy as the devil for burning it," Reynolds said. "They're right in the middle of the people. I feel terrible about it. I feel threatened."

At least one area official agrees.

"I've never been a proponent of using the incinerator as a technology for disposing these weapons," said County Commissioner Robert Downing. "I think it is particularly inappropriate in a populated area."

There are 2,253 tons of chemical weapons at the depot. Packed in rockets that have begun to corrode, the nerve agents, designed to do to humans what bug spray does to fire ants, are a risk to the community.

No one thinks the rockets should remain at the depot, where they are kept in concrete igloos. Although no major accident has occurred, the weapons have affected the nerves of an entire region.

That is why even incineration opponents are ready for the rockets to be gone.

"I will be glad when this problem has past," Downing said. "I just hope and pray it will end as quickly as possible."

Downing's fellow county commissioner, Eli Henderson, has been working on the issue with the government and the Army for eight years.

"I think it's time to move on and put this behind us," Henderson said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.