Defense Environment Alert
April 9, 2002

FEMA AND ALABAMA AGREE ON CHEMICAL SAFETY MEASURES FOR ANNISTON

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) agreed last month to provide $7 million in funding for chemical protective hoods and protective suits for residents and emergency response personnel living near the Army's chemical weapons incinerator at Anniston, AL. The March 26 announcement effectively stays a lawsuit by Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman (D) that sought to stop chemical weapons incineration until FEMA provided a variety of safety funding, according to the governor's office.

Siegelman filed his lawsuit in mid-February, aiming to ensure the federal government provides "maximum protection to the citizens of Alabama" as required by federal law and administrative orders (Defense Environment Alert, March 12, p22). One of the main issues in the suit was the state's demand that it receive $15.5 million earmarked primarily for protective hoods for citizens who live close to the incinerator, protective suits for police, fire and emergency personnel, and a software upgrade for the local emergency management agency that would warn residents of a chemical release and track the direction of the plume (Defense Environment Alert, Feb. 12, p7).

With the promise of the funding for protective hoods and suits, the governor has asked the court to dismiss the portion of the lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction against incineration, a spokesman for the governor says. The protective hoods are similar to gas masks, and their distribution to residents will mark the first time the federal government has issued such protective items to the general public, the spokesman says.

FEMA has placed a prerequisite on actually releasing the $7 million, though, asking the state to develop a plan for training residents and emergency personnel on how to use the hoods, the spokesman says, noting that this plan "is in the works." As a precaution, the remaining aspects of the lawsuit are still pending, in case there are delays in receiving the money, but the governor is "feeling very optimistic" that everything will work out, the spokesman says.

About the time Siegelman filed the lawsuit, FEMA released the approximately $8.5 million for the software upgrade, the spokesman says.