CONTACT:
Camilla Feibelman, 202.675.6276
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Sierra Club Board of Directors Calls on U.S. Army
To Halt Chemical Weapons Incineration
Amid Incidents and Exposures Advanced Agent Monitors Must
Be Installed at Anniston Facility Before Burning Continues, Board Says
WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Army should halt chemical
weapons incineration until advanced agent monitors are installed at its Anniston,
Alabama Chemical Weapons Incinerator, resolved the Sierra Club's National
Board of Directors this weekend in their meeting at in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
"The Army is putting the residents of Anniston at
risk by burning chemical weapons in an urban area. What's worse is
that they're not using the most up-to-date technology to protect people and
their families," said Board of Directors President Larry Fahn.
This month, two incinerator workers were exposed to
Sarin gas when performing activities associated with the processing of rockets
that are being burned at the facility. This incident, along with a list
of other mishaps, including a disturbing number of unplanned shutdowns since
operations began in August, led citizens groups last week to call for an
investigation by the Pentagon. The Sierra Club is among 20 environmental,
veterans, civil rights and public health organizations that called on Undersecretary
of Defense Michael Wynne to shutdown operations until an investigation is
undertaken and completed.
"There are bound to be accidents. The Army is
using a facility that wasn't made to burn these types of rockets. I'm
terrified for my family. The least the Army can do is use the best technology
out there to protect us," said Rufus Kinney, an area resident who traveled
to the Sierra Club board meeting in order to bring the resolution.
This latest call for advanced chemical agents monitors
comes on the heels of the 2004 Defense Authorization Bill which states that,
"It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of the Army should deploy
improved chemical agent monitors in order to ensure the maximum protection
of the general public, personnel involved in the chemical demilitarization
program, and the environment." This language followed almost ten years of
recommendations to the Army by the National Research Council to upgrade airborne
monitoring systems. But, to date, the Army has failed to act.
The Anniston incinerator is located in the most densely
populated urban area of any of the four chemical weapons burners, with 75,000
residents living in the "impact zone". It is one of four chemical weapons
stockpiles that is using incineration instead of a safer alternative called
neutralization, which is being used at the four other sites.
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Copies of the Resolution are available from the Sierra
Club contact above or at <www.cwwg.org>.
