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What is CSEPP?
CSEPP stands for Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program. This program is a coordinated and cooperative effort among Federal, State and Local agencies, the private sector and volunteers.
CSEPP is committed to saving lives and protecting property in the event of a chemical accident at Anniston Army Depot.
In 1986, Congress mandated that chemical munitions stored at the Anniston Army Depot (and seven other sites) be destroyed. Congress also mandated maximum protection for the public, the environment and workers involved in destroying the chemical munitions. Federal funding is being provided to communities that surround the storage sites to upgrade emergency capabilities. The Depot uses extensive safety and security precautions while storing, inspecting, monitoring and handling these munitions. The Depot's safety record regarding these munitions is exemplary. However, your local EMA must be prepared to respond to and recover from any potential accident involving these chemical munitions.
The Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) identifies and plans for emergencies that could occur at Anniston Army Depot. Some federal resourcing has been provided to the county for items that contribute to enhancing maximum protection for the public. Specific examples include an improved Emergency Operations Center (EOC), a state-of-the-art automation system, increased training, and improved warning and communications equipment for responders and schools. Anniston Army Depot The Anniston Army Depot was established for ammunition storage in 1941 as part of the war effort. Beginning in the 1950's, the depot began to increase its supply missions and to take on industrial operations. A major new mission involved overhaul and repair of combat vehicles. The mission further expanded to include the repair, overhaul, and modification of anti-aircraft and mobile artillery, including the tank rebuild program. Maintenance and storage of chemical weapons began in the early 1960's. The Army added missile maintenance in the 1980's. The chemical weapons stored at Anniston Army Depot consist of various munitions and chemical agents, containing VX nerve agents or HD blister agent. Anniston Chemical Activity The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency assumed the responsibility of safely storing and destroying the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile in December 2003. That responsibility had previously belonged to the U.S. Army Chemical Biological Defense Command (CBDCOM) later known as the U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command (SBCCOM) and the Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization (PMCD). The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency - Anniston (CMA-Anniston), a tenant Army organization on Anniston Army Depot, includes the Anniston Chemical Activity (ANCA) and the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (ANCDF). CMA-Anniston is responsible for the safe storage and surveillance of the chemical stockpile located within its heavily guarded chemical limited area and for the safe operation of the ANCDF. All together, there are more than 900 government and contractor personnel associated with all aspects of the CMA-Anniston mission. The chemical weapons storage mission at Anniston Army Depot began in 1961. The Anniston stockpile of VX nerve agents and Mustard (blister) agent, originally contained some 7 percent of the United States' total inventory of chemical agent. Anniston is one of eight sites in the U.S. that stored chemical munitions. Construction of the ANCDF began in 1997. The first chemical weapon, a GB-filled M55 rocket, was destroyed on August 9, 2003. Disposal operations are expected to conclude in 2010. The chemical weapons stockpile is monitored regularly by specially trained ANCA personnel. These men and women can identify and isolate any leaking munitions before agent might be released from the storage bunkers. ANCA personnel are also responsible for the safe transport of the munitions to the ANCDF. At the destruction site, ANCDF personnel disassemble the weapons and drain the liquid agent. Furnaces efficiently and safely burn and decontaminate the weapons' components. Well-trained employees, elaborate procedures, and a sophisticated pollution abatement system ensure the community, the work force, and the environment are not injured or harmed through the disposal process. CMA-Anniston also has obligations in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) Treaty. The storage area and the ANCDF are both subject to regular inspections by representatives of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). |
