Many workers will stick around for cleanup

by Cameron Steele
Sep 23, 2011

BYNUM — Thursday was bittersweet for many incinerator workers.

The destruction of Anniston's last chemical weapons means they're closer than ever to losing their jobs.

Nearly 1,000 government and Westinghouse contract employees work at the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility and the Anniston Chemical Activity. Those are now positions with a two-and-a-half year shelf life.

"As great a day as this is, we have worked ourselves out of jobs," Army Lt. Col. Willie Flucker said before he watched the last 72 shell casings emerge agent-free from the furnace.

Flucker oversees the 100 or so Anniston Chemical Activity employees who were responsible for storing and transporting nerve- and mustard-agent-filled weapons.

Now that the eight-year burn is complete and Anniston's more than 660,000 chemical weapons are toast, federal law requires incinerator workers to clean up, dismantle and raze the site buildings.

Tim Garrett, government project manager, said that process will take no more than three years.

Some workers, however, will lose their jobs after Thanksgiving because they are not needed for the cleanup process, Flucker said. He did not know the exact number. The others will stay on board until after that process is over; Garrett has estimated about 900 will be occupied with that work.

Most of the workers at the site Thursday said they will keep their jobs throughout the cleanup process and decide what to do after that.

Anthony Stokes, the leader of the hazardous waste management team, watched as reporters peered at the empty shells of the last mustard munitions.

"Yeah, I'll stay here until they tell me they don't need me anymore," said the 37-year-old Rainbow City native. "I'm glad we're done with the chemical weapons, but today is just like any other day really."

Like Stokes, Michael Johnson has worked at the incinerator since the program began in 2003. And like Stokes, the SAIC project engineer doesn't plan to leave just because all of the weapons are gone. He and two other men stood in an administrative trailer on site Thursday joking with each other and drinking soda before the final burn was complete.

"This job has been good for me," he said. The Gadsden resident laughed. "I've still got it for another two and a half years."

After that, he said, he doesn't know what he's going to do. But he'll have to do something and wants to stay in the area.

The Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce and a half-million-dollar grant could help with that, Chamber President Sherri Sumners said.

Sumners is dedicating her time to finding ways to keep the incinerator's specialized workforce from leaving the area. The federal grant has paid for an intensive economic study of the area, specialized consulting with incinerator employees and a new, high-tech job-search engine.

The chamber president watched from the control room as the last projectiles exited the furnace Thursday. Ten minutes before that milestone, Sumners explained what it meant to her.

"It really drives home the point … that we should be helping these people find jobs," she said. "That should be how we express our appreciation."

Oxford resident Michael K. Johnson said he hopes he'll find work after this. The 22-year-old Oxford High School graduate has worked at the incinerator for a little more than a year. He's one of the ones who wore the "moon suits" for protection when unpacking chemical weapons.

"I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do," he said glancing at the metal and concrete buildings after the final burn. "I'm real proud … it's good for this community, but at the same time, I don't want my job to go away."

Star staff writer Cameron Steele: 256-235-3562.