Pine Bluff Commercial
June 20, 2003

EMERGENCY EVACUATION BUSES NEEDED

By Judy Normand/of the commercial staff

The Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative's board of directors has asked for help from Rep. Mike Ross to obtain more than $19 million in funds from the Department of Homeland Security.

The funds would be used to purchase emergency evacuation buses for school districts in a three-county area.

ARESC Director Carolyn McCoy, in her letter to Ross, wrote "The Pine Bluff Arsenal is host to one of the nation's six stockpiles of chemicals. Businesses, parents, the community and ultimately the school districts have become extremely concerned about the evacuation plans for schoolchildren. This request is for buses to be able to upgrade the current emergency plans so that all school personnel and students can be bused immediately away from the school sites in case of an emergency."

Unfortunately, according to Ross' communications director, Marie DesOrmeaux, the request comes too late to be included in this year's Homeland Security appropriations.

The deadline, she said, was April 4, and the request from ARESC was dated May 1.

However, DesOrmeaux said, Ross' office will continue seeking other grants that may be available.

McCoy said ARESC personnel had met with area superintendents about the need for additional transportation for students in close proximity to the Arsenal and its stockpile of chemical weapons. She said all were in agreement and had promised to review individual evacuation plans.

White Hall Superintendent Gary Kees said the district was busy exploring all options and, along with other school districts, has agreed to support McCoy's efforts to gain funding for additional buses.

"All I can say at this point is that if all students and staff in the White Hall School District had to be evacuated, there would not be adequate transportation," Kees said.

McCoy said the extra buses would be used to transport students within the Protective Action Zone that extends 35 miles in any direction from the Pine Bluff Arsenal. In the event of an accident at the site, students in Jefferson, Grant and parts of Arkansas County would need to be transported to a safe area.

According to McCoy, school districts in the protective action zone include Humphrey and Stuttgart in Arkansas County, Poyen and Sheridan in Grant County, and Dollarway, Pine Bluff, Watson Chapel and White Hall in Jefferson County.

The student population in those districts, Southeast Arkansas College and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff totals nearly 25,000, taking into consideration the number of student drivers.

All others, she said, would need transportation away from the protective action zone, including faculty and staff, which would require an estimated 277 extra buses.