Despite some heated discussion concerning emergency planning around the Umatilla Chemical Depot, the governor’s executive review panel decided on a course of action during its first meeting.

The panel, consisting of 20 people from Oregon and Washington, will provide an assessment of the state of readiness of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program.

“The bottom line conclusion … was that the continued risk of storage exceeds the risk of incineration,” said Stephanie Hallock of the governor’s office. “That means we need to get on with it.”

But before incineration of 3,713 tons of deadly chemicals at the depot can begin, the state must conclude that the surrounding communities are prepared. Though other depot-oriented, multi-agency committees exist, this review panel is the only one that reviews community preparedness.

The members will meet at least three more times this year and should prepare a preliminary analysis for Gov. John Kitzhaber by Dec. 1. Incineration won’t begin until sometime in 2002, and only if the state gives its blessing to the project.

The governor’s interest in the incineration project intensified after a false alarm by area emergency sirens late last year. The review panel was required by the permit for the project, but it has also increased Kitzhaber’s visibility regarding the issue. He toured the depot for the first time earlier this year.

The panel includes several mayors, county commissioners, law enforcement personnel, the U.S. Army National Guard and more. Its task of assessing the readiness of the local CSEPP is unique to communities near national stockpiles, said Madhu Beriwal, the event moderator.

The group said it would create a master list of shortcomings that need to be fixed before incineration can begin. Among those are distribution of emergency radios and readiness drills to prepare for emergencies.

Panel members found defining their goal to be a difficult task. Morrow County Judge Terry Tallman wanted to discuss a new state study that says VX gas may be 10 times more potent than originally thought, while Armand Minthorn of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation wanted to discuss the long-term environmental repercussions of incineration.

“In the event there is an incident at the depot, the tribes will hold someone responsible if our resources are damaged,” he told the group.

The group will meet with Gov. Kitzhaber on Aug. 3 at an undetermined location.