Anniston Star
August 4, 2002

Speak Out ... Governor Don Siegelman

By our readers

Recently, The Star ran a story quoting Gov. Don Siegelman as saying he remains committed to forcing the Bush administration to collectively protect all of our schools that are located in the "pink zones." Thank goodness our governor is on top of this problem. The federal government originally promised to over-pressurize 37 schools, hospitals and other facilities in 1996, but slashed that number after the Alabama Department of Emergency Management issued the construction permit for the incinerator. For years the Calhoun County Commission has been pushing the Army and FEMA to live up to this important safety pledge. Gov. Siegelman joined this critical effort last year.

Gov. Siegelman made his promise to get these facilities over-pressurized despite his decision to withdraw his request in federal court for injunctive relief against the planned startup of the incinerator. I hope the governor will use his influence with ADEM to stop the Army's last minute request to alter dramatically the incinerator's operating permit to allow risky "chop and drop" technology to be used here.

After all, school starts in less than a month and our children have no protection in the event of an accident in the deactivation furnace, something the National Research Council states could occur if "chop and drop" technology is used to destroy chemical weapons.

A. Dahlstrom
Anniston

Reporting and incineration

After reading former Anniston Star reporter Russ Henderson's article in the Mobile Register recently after the Army's planned use of "chop and drop" at the Anniston Army Depot and then reading Matt Creamer's follow-up in The Star the next day, I could not believe both reporters were discussing the same issue.

The Register reported that the Army's own scientific consultant, The National Research Council, has condemned "chop and drop." The Star failed to mention that important fact. The Register informed its readers that Gov. Siegelman wrote to ADEM four months ago to express his strong reservations to the Army's request to modify its permit to use "chop and drop." The Star said nothing about the governor's letter. The Register reported that "chop and drop" would be used to destroy chemical agents at AAD before any agent trial burns had been conducted. The Star left out that critical point as well. The Register quoted sources on all sides of this issue, including the Chemical Weapons Working Group. Predictably, The Star only quoted Army and ADEM officials, who apparently are in complete agreement regarding this drastic change. Even though The Star has written many articles about this issue in the past, none of the items listed above were mentioned in this story.

The Register quoted Army spokesman Mike Abrams as saying, "We are not taking ADEM for fools and ADEM is not taking us for fools." While The Star did not get such an ironic quote from the Army, it is clear from their continued biased reporting and selective use of the facts that The Star takes its readers for fools. Fortunately, we can get the whole story on "chop and drop" by going to other Alabama papers, such as the Register. Keep up the good work, Russ Henderson. Now that you no longer work at The Star you can finally report freely and fairly about the incinerator and the stockpile.

Brenda Lindell
Anniston