Public meeting in Pine Bluff informs citizens about alternative technologies
(The following was excerpted from the April 1998 issue of "Common Sense", the newsletter of the Chemical Weapons Working Group, published by the Kentucky Environmental Foundation.)
On January 29, a public meeting was held in Pine Bluff, Arkansas to inform the local community on the alternatives to chemical weapons incineration. Over 100 people attended the program. To me, this was the first meeting at which the Pine Bluff community was truly represented. After years of thinking incineration was the only way, the community heard that alternatives to incineration are being developed, and may be used in Pine Bluff.
Several faculty and staff members from University of Arkansas Pine Bluff (UAPB) helped with the welcome and introductions and facilitation of the meeting. Program presenters included several people who are involved in the Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment (ACWA) program, which is the current alternative technologies program including representatives from the Department of Defense, state regulator agencies, and most importantly, community representatives. Following the presentations, there was a helpful question and answer session.
The meeting was very successful for a number of reasons. The diversity of the group, with blacks and whites from all walks of life coming together around a common concern, was inspiring. It was also successful because of the number of local and state organizations that have stepped out against incineration. Many veterans organizations have also gotten involved. But the best part about the meeting was that the information on alternatives finally reached the public in a clear way. Other stockpile sites are on the road to having alternative technologies used for their chemical weapons. The Maryland stockpile site will be having a neutralizaton/biological treatment for the mustard agent stored in ton containers. Many people don't know that 83% of Pine Bluff's stockpile is also mustard agent in ton containers -- which means any technology used in Maryland could also be used here for that part of our stockpile. More and more people in Pine Bluff are realizing that incineration in Pine Bluff is a bad idea, when there are safer alternatives available. Alternatives technologies are a light in the darkness of a proposed incinerator. Now it is up to us to make sure it becomes a reality.
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