Communities ready for emergency, CSEPP says

This story was published Tue, May 14, 2002

By Karen Zacharias
Herald Oregon bureau

IRRIGON -- Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber will no longer have to guess whether communities surrounding the Umatilla Chemical Depot are ready for an emergency.

The governing board for the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program determined Monday that those communities are prepared for an accident should one occur during incineration of chemical agent. Test burns using chemical substitutes are to start May 25 with burning of former weapons components planned next February.

"This is a milestone for us," said Tom Johnson, a board member and administrator for the Oregon Department of Public Health.

Kitzhaber appointed a task force in 2000 to oversee community readiness. That task force, the Executive Review Panel, will meet in Hermiston today to make its final recommendation to the governor. Members will rely largely on the CSEPP governing board's unanimous vote of confidence.

"I've been in contact with all our first responders. They feel comfortable in moving forward," said Jim Stearns, Hermiston fire chief.

Morrow County Commissioner John Wenholz agreed.

"The question is are we adequately prepared? I feel we are. We need to make a recommendation to the governor that he sign off," Wenholz said.

The governor charged the board with overseeing community preparedness after a December 1999 incident in which warning sirens were accidentally activated, sending panic throughout Irrigon, Umatilla, Hermiston and other surrounding cities. Kitzhaber pledged that he would not give the Army permission to begin burns of the 3,717 tons of lethal chemical stockpile until the communities nearest the depot, seven miles west of Hermiston, were prepared.

The only person to express any hesitation was Bob Flournoy, chairman of the Citizens Advisory Board.

"I think we should go ahead and make the recommendation that the governor sign off. But I think we should clearly spell out our reservations," Flournoy said.

The primary concern expressed by board members was what happens if the Federal Emergency Management Agency decides it won't lead community preparedness any longer. Last week's report that FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh has suggested the Army should be in charge of community readiness created a ruckus.

Thus far, FEMA has served as the broker between the communities and the U.S. Department of Defense. Board members want assurances that the deals struck between FEMA for items such as a 450-megahertz communication system and recirculating air filters for homes nearest the depot will be honored.

"Those commitments were made by FEMA. If FEMA were to drop out of the program, for whatever reason, would those commitments be honored?" asked Dennis Doherty, Umatilla County commissioner.

Not to worry, said Denzel Fisher, an assistant with the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army.

"It's just not politically correct to be reducing emergency preparedness (money) in civilian communities near chemical depots," Fisher said.

Fisher's remarks were backed by Lawrence Skelly, a special assistant with the Pentagon. Skelly said emergency preparedness programs would not be affected, even though the nation's chemical demilitarization program faces $100 million in cost overruns for 2002-03.

"Emergency preparedness is one part of the Chemical Demilitarization program that gets total support," Skelly said.

 

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