To the editor:

On June 9, the Cameron Station Civic Association hosted a community meeting with senior city staff, city council members, Mayor Euille, Alexandria school officials, Norfolk Southern employees, and Alexandria citizens to discuss the Norfolk Southern ethanol transloading facility, which is 600 yards away from Tucker Elementary School, and even closer than that to parts of Cameron Station and Summers Grove.

At that meeting, citizens asked the city staff for emergency plans (including evacuation plans), and adequate communication plans for both the nearby neighborhoods and Tucker Elementary School, based on ethanol leaks, spills, fires, or other accidents that might occur at the facility. At that meeting, even though the facility had been open for two months, no concrete plans existed. As I write this, on July 14, we still have not seen any such emergency or communications plans from the city, despite several requests from myself and other members of the Cameron Station community and civic association board.

What is going on? Many city staff members have known about this facility since December 2007. Was any time spent on formulating an emergency and communications plan? If not, why not?

Shouldnt the citys plan, outside of doing everything we can to cease operations, shut you down and get you out of the city, which Mayor Euille said to Norfolk Southern senior management of the facility on May 27, also include protecting Tucker students, teachers, residents, and their homes?

Were waiting.

Ingrid Sanden
President, Cameron Station Civic Association