East Oregonian
June 12, 2002

Governor to make Depot decision

By HEIDI SODERSTROM
of the East Oregonian

HERMISTON--Gov. John Kitzhaber will announce today if he has accepted the recommendation of his 20-member Executive Review panel to proceed with destruction of chemical weapons at the Umatilla Chemical Depot.

A Salem press conference was scheduled for early this afternoon.

The panel sent a letter last month to the governor after a Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program drill passed with flying colors.

The drill was designed to evaluate the response of the Army and surrounding communities in case of an accident involving chemical agents and munitions at the Depot. The governor has said he will not give the go-ahead to incineration until he was assured of the safety of the region.

Chris Dearth, spokesman for Kitzhaber's office, said "a handful" of letters had been received on the issue. "We've received about six or eight ... not very many given the gravity of the issue. I think it reflects also the few number of public comments," he added.
But that "handful" includes two letters from teachers at A.C. Houghton Elementary School in Irrigon.

Principal John Sebastion said the teachers are concerned about having to open the school three minutes into a drill to let alternative school students and staff in, after the elementary school's overpressurization system already is set.

"Their concern has always been that to be secure and open three minutes into an event lets in too many unknowns," he said.

Dearth said Casey Beard, Morrow County CSEPP program manager, is working on a solution to that problem.

He said Beard's proposal is to build two temporary shelters that can be overpressurized at the alternative school.

"As of yesterday, he was just going to shift existing funds from within the program," Dearth said.

"I think it's a good solution which will satisfy the large majority of teacher concerns about overpressurization," Sebastion said.