Anniston Star
August 4, 2003

'Pink-zone' location not suitable for the highway department

By Jessica Ravitz
Star Staff Writer
08-04-2003

Nearly 100 trained first responders from the Calhoun County Highway Department may not be able to help with evacuation if an accident were to happen at the Anniston Army Depot's chemical weapons incinerator, county officials told The Anniston Star.

The highway department is located in the "pink zone," the area most susceptible to danger in the event of a mishap at the depot's stockpile or its incinerator. If an emergency were to occur, county officials said, the department would have to shelter-in-place, closing operations and its ability to help the community until the potential danger passed.

Calhoun County officials said they have wanted to move the highway department for years, but with incineration of the chemical weapons stockpile scheduled to begin Wednesday, the urgency has elevated.

"I don't think a lot of people realize the role they'd play in response to a CSEPP (Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program) emergency," said Delois Champ, interim director of the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency.

Over the past 10 years, Champ said, the highway department has participated in every CSEPP exercise and training session.

"On any given day, 85 to 95 (highway department) employees all become CSEPP responders if there's an incident," she said.

"The department is 3.5 miles from the depot fence. If something happened, they'd be locked down and we'd lose their (help)."

In an emergency, highway department employees would control traffic flow for evacuations by manning intersections, putting up message boards and barricad-ing roads to reroute vehicles. They also would transport heavy equipment - in-cluding decontamination trailers - to staging areas.

But from a pink-zone shelter-in-place, they wouldn't be able to do their jobs, said Charles Markert, the county engineer. And if employees happened to be outside the zone at the time of an emergency, he says they wouldn't be able to return for needed equipment.

The solution, said Markert, is to move from the zone as soon as possible. And in shopping around, he said relocating to McClellan may be the best option.