Augusta's two state senators and officials from two railroad companies said Friday they're going to try to get leaders together to make plans in case another hazardous chemical release puts residents in danger.
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Sens. J.B. Powell and Charles Walker, D-Augusta, said they want to bring together legislators from the Georgia and South Carolina delegations to establish a committee to form an emergency response plan in the wake of the Graniteville train disaster.
"It's important when you're dealing with emergency response, whether it's chemical or weather-related, is having adequate coordination," Mr. Walker said.
"We believe with the help of various affected industries, we can get a plan ... of a quick response," he said.
"The one thing we want to do is make sure the public is properly informed on evacuation procedures," Mr. Powell said, "and that at schools in the affected areas, the staff is trained on what to do."
"I think the biggest lesson is that we have to constantly stay on top of safety procedures and make sure that safety education within our company is of the utmost importance," said Joel Harrell, a representative of Norfolk Southern who spoke with the senators.
Although Augusta's emergency responders proved they were able to do the job when they helped Aiken County, Craig Camuso, of CSX, said it doesn't hurt to continue training.
Both senators said they wanted to involve officials from both sides of the river, as they are members of the Senate Interstate Cooperation Committee.
Mr. Walker said party politics had nothing to do with the plan.
"People who are going to be affected by a chemical spill don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican. We've just got to get it done."
Reach Jeremy Craig at (706) 823-3409 or jeremy.craig@augustachronicle.com.
Walker
