Chemical weapons burn starts today in Alabama

ANNISTON, Ala. - The Army plans to start destroying Cold War-era chemical weapons today at its incinerator near Anniston, the first time the military has burned the deadly munitions near a populated area.

The timetable to start destroying the chemical weapons came Friday after a judge in Washington rejected motions by opponents to delay it. The incinerator will begin operations this morning unless weather or other factors cause a delay, incinerator spokesman Mike Abrams said.

The Army plans only "limited burns" on weekends and between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays until certain schools and community buildings near the incinerator are provided with safety pressurization this fall.

Opponents say incineration raises too great a risk near homes and schools - about 35,000 people live in the "pink zone" within 9 miles of the Army site, which is about 50 miles east of Alabama's most populous city, Birmingham.

The Army's decision came only hours after U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson's ruling cleared the way for burning to begin.

After the judge's decision, Sharon McConathy took her granddaughter to pick up safety gear being provided to thousands of Anniston-area people - protective hoods that resemble gas masks and plastic sheeting to seal up a room in her mobile home in the event of an accident.

"It's real scary," McConathy said. "I think they're putting everybody at risk."

The Army and others in the Anniston area contend it is far safer to burn the chemical weapons than leave them in the concrete bunkers at the depot.

Environmentalists had asked Jackson first for a temporary restraining order and then a preliminary injunction blocking the startup, but he denied both. He said their arguments were "purely speculative" and they had not shown that "harm will flow."

Craig Williams, executive director of the Chemical Weapons Working Group, which filed for the restraining order, said it may take days to decide if the ruling will be appealed.

"It's a sad day for those in Anniston and for this nation when our government is unwilling to prevent U.S. citizens from exposure to toxic chemicals," Williams said.

The Army had planned to begin destroying some 2,254 tons of nerve agents and mustard gas Wednesday, a project expected to take seven years. But the military agreed to a delay so the hearing before Jackson could be held.

Sherri Sumners, president of the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce, said a few opponents have created hysteria among some in the community.

"They have been told so much and heard so much," Sumners said. "Incineration is a lot better than letting it sit out there."

She expects most community fears to subside after the incinerator has operated safely for a few months.

David Ford, a spokesman with the county Emergency Management Agency, said that about 3,300 people have picked up safety gear this week at an old military building where it is being given out free but that Friday was slow.

"We don't know how many are left who want it," he said.

He said about 6,000 of the protective hoods remain to be given out.

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