Anniston Star
August 26, 2003

Speak Out ... Incineration

By our readers
08-26-2003

Incineration

Recently, the president of the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce stated on the evening news that she thinks county residents are so comfortable with the incinerator they're not even picking up their protective equipment.

Obviously, she hasn't listened to people like Jeanette Champion (also on the evening news) and hundreds of others who feel hopeless that the equipment will significantly protect them. Or many others without transportation, or the elderly and handicapped who don't know they can request home delivery ... Perhaps if the newspapers publicized the appropriate need and urgency, there would be more participation. While requiring all family members to attend the same training session may appear as "quality time" to some, it's not very practical, especially for those with reluctant teenagers.

Our family picked up our duct tape and plastic. What an adventure that was! Now I consider myself reasonably proficient with a road map, but the one published in the newspapers wasn't too clear. The problem was compounded by a lack of directional signs. The CSEPP intake worker said they were only allowed to post two (?). While all employees were courteous, the few questions we asked couldn't be answered, such as which roads are secondary evacuation routes and is the plastic contaminated after an accident. Can't say this was a positive experience.

So please, Madame President, look beyond the hopeful before making such statements on TV. I know your job is to lure businesses to Calhoun County, but really, who wants to locate near a chemical weapons incinerator!

Susan Hug
Jacksonville