McClellan JPA News: Howell seals deal for cleanup money

Howell seals deal for cleanup money

By Dan Whisenhunt
Anniston Star Staff Writer, 09-07-2007

The Army’s agreement Thursday to provide approximately $151 million to finish the job of environmental cleanup at McClellan secures the economic future of the former fort, officials said.

Anniston Mayor Chip Howell was accompanied by U.S. Senators Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, and Jeff Sessions. R-Mobile, and U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Anniston, as he signed the agreement with the Army.

Howell later called the agreement a “coup,” saying it’s hard to overstate what the cleanup money means to the future of Calhoun County.

“(Defense) Communities all over the country would jump through hoops for this kind of news and the commitment the Army has made to us,” Howell said.

Photo courtesy of Congressman Mike Roger's office.

Congressman Mike Rogers, Senator Richard Shelby, Principal Deputy Assitant Secretary of the Army Geoffrey Prosch, Anniston Mayor Chip Howell, and Senator Jeff Sessions at signing of cleanup funding agreement.

The final total on what the Army is providing for McClellan’s cleanup is not yet known, Howell said, but in the end it will be more than $200 million, including previously received cleanup money.

The Environmental Services Cooperative Agreement (ESCA) combines what the Army previously committed to cleaning up other areas of the fort and the recent commitment of $151 million for the portion of McClellan known as the Bravo area, according to Miki Schneider, a planner for McClellan’s redevelopment board.

The money will be used to remove unexploded ordnance and other environmental contamination remaining from McClellan’s days as a military base.

In the short term, the money will provide for the cleanup of the area where Iron Mountain Road connects to the future route of the Eastern Parkway.

In the long term, the work will give the JPA access to areas they were previously unable to develop for commercial and residential purposes because of the environmental hazards.

“The cleanup is a huge undertaking, but Mayor Chip Howell and the other members of the Joint Powers Authority board have a great team, and The Army is confident that they will be successful,” Geoffrey Prosch, principal deputy assistant secretary of the army for installations and environment, said in a written statement.

Rogers said the community was fortunate to get the money.

“There were attempts by other (congressmen) who had installations to try to redirect this cleanup money to their parts of the country,” Rogers said when contacted by phone.

“We just had to really encourage (the Army) on a consistent basis that they had a remaining obligation at McClellan.”

Shelby agreed. “There are many twists and turns up here in Washington, so we were elated today,” he said.

“I just believe it’s a new day, a great day.”