Hermiston Herald
June 18, 2002

Governor says area ready for burning

SALEM - Gov. John Kitzhaber certified Wednesday that an emergency
preparedness plan is "adequate and fully operational," allowing the U.S.
Army to proceed with test burns to dispose of chemical weapons at the
federal Umatilla Chemical Depot.

In a ceremony in his office, Kitzhaber signed a letter to the Oregon
Environmental Quality Commission giving final approval to a Chemical
Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Plan (CSEPP) and certifying that the
communities surrounding the depot can handle any mishap that might occur.

"My certification is the culmination of years of work by hundreds of people
who have toiled to make their communities safe in the event of an accident
at the Umatilla Chemical Depot," Kitzhaber said. "I am extremely proud of
the way the communities in Umatilla and Morrow counties, along with our
partners in Washington state, have pulled together to build a strong
emergency preparedness program, and I have full confidence in it. In 1999,
the program met just a few of its emergency performance measures. In the
most recent comprehensive exercise last month, it met all fifteen - an
extraordinary achievement in so short a period of time."

Among the officials who participated in the signing ceremony were Beverlee
Venell, Director of Oregon Emergency Management, and Umatilla County
Commissioner Dennis Doherty. Also present was John Pennington, Region 10
director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who voiced
FEMA's ongoing, strong support of the preparedness plan.

"Keeping our CSEPP at its present high level of effectiveness will require a
sustained effort and continued federal funding, until all the chemicals are
destroyed," Kitzhaber said.

"For this reason, I am asking my Executive Review Panel - which consists of
first responders, local officials and tribal leaders, and state agencies -
to continue meeting at least once a year, and to report to the governor on
the condition of CSEPP. Should CSEPP ever fall short of its present high
standards, the governor may then ask the EQC to take corrective action
through the permit process. I am confident that this ongoing mechanism will
guarantee a robust CSEPP for the duration of the incineration."