(The following is excerpted from the April 1998 issue of "Common Sense," the newsletter of the Chemical Weapons Working Group, published by the Kentucky Environmental Foundation.)
A court hearing began on Tuesday, January 20, 1998 on challenges to several permits issued by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) for the construction and operation of a chemical weapons incinerator in Anniston, Alabama. Army contractor Westinghouse Electric Corporation plans to incinerate 661,529 weapons stored at the Anniston Army Depot. Citizens groups are pushing for safer alternative technologies to take the place of incineration to destroy Anniston's chemical weapons stockpile.
The petitioners in this case, Serving Alabama's Future Environment (SAFE), Inc. and Families Concerned About Nerve Gas Incineration, say the incineration project has three major deficiencies: 1) emergency response officials are not prepared to prevent the 10,000 potential fatalities which could result from a release of chemical agent; 2) Westinghouse is being required to allocate only $1 million to compensate victims and the families of their victims for their injuries; and 3) the emission of dioxins from the incinerator stack, combined with current background dioxin levels would put area residents at a health risk. Representing the citizens' groups is David Ludder, with the Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation in Tallahassee, FL.
Testimony from two witnesses showed a lack of full knowledge about the health risks associated with incineration. Westinghouse Plant Manager Richard Harral testified that he only briefly discussed the incinerator application with Army officials on the day he signed certification papers. He further admitted under oath that he has never read the health risk assessment or the contingency plan contained in those documents. These two portions of the application are supposed to demonstrate protection for human health and the safety of the over 70,000 people living near the proposed incinerator site. Jacksonville resident Rufus Kinney said "This shows a gross disregard for the health and safety of Alabama's citizens!" Local resident Michael Marvinny added, "How can ADEM permit a facility of this complexity when the chief plant manager does not have a complete understanding of the permit?"
Dr. Brian Hughes, toxicologist with the Alabama State Health Department, said that he was responsible for reviewing public comments on the health risk assessment submitted to ADEM. He said that ADEM provided him with some of the comments but not the supporting material containing various recent scientific publications on the health effects of exposure to low levels of nerve agent and exposure to dioxin. Kinney asked, "Will Anniston become another example of Gulf War Illness after we are exposed to nerve agent?"
If the permit is allowed to go on uncontested, the citizens' groups will file an appeal. However, if the citizens' groups prevail, the permit will be disapproved, construction of the incinerator will cease until a new permit is obtained.
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