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Grant Sought for Local Disaster Training

MOUNDSVILLE — Emergency management officials in Marshall County are looking to perform more training exercises locally after Saturday’s chlorine leak at the Axiall chemical plant in the southern part of the county.

Mike Mucheck, deputy Marshall County emergency management director, addressed county commissioners Tuesday morning, seeking their approval of a series of training exercises to keep local emergency response teams sharp. For the last 10 years, response teams had gone out of the county to participate in this training, and with a potential $11,750 grant from the Department of Homeland Security he hopes they can keep the training closer to home.

Commissioners unanimously approved signing off on the grant application.

Mucheck outlined his plans for the specific exercises after the meeting, which consist of three phases, culminating in a full-scale exercise.

“We always participate in these exercises, but we just wanted to bring something local, so we can stay in collaboration with all our first response agencies,” he said.

Prior exercises had taken place in Hancock, Wetzel and Ohio counties, as well as in Charleston.

Mucheck told commissioners that after the Axiall incident over the weekend, the local response teams would appreciate the local training, which he said would keep their skills honed should future situations develop.

“With the incident Saturday, I think this compounds our need to do this,” Mucheck said. “We probably dodged a big bullet. Chlorine is heavier than air — it hugs the ground, and with the low wind flow that morning, the plume did not dissipate as quickly as we’d have hoped. … We had a good response, we were hazmat-ready should the wind have shifted north. Everything worked in our favor, and we just thank our lucky stars there were no fatalities.”

Mucheck said two Marshall County residents and about 30 Wetzel county residents were treated and released at local hospitals for eye and throat irritation.

Commissioner Bob Miller said he was happy with the response from emergency teams during the weekend accident, and the constant stream of information to the commissioners helped him keep on top of the situation.

Also speaking to commissioners Tuesday was Jana Jarrett, a spokeswoman for the Miss Marshall County Scholarship Foundation, who came to thank the commissioners for their support of the pageant through its first year. Numerous Marshall County girls went on to compete at the state level, she said.

“Marshall County was wonderfully represented at the state pageant this year,” Jarrett said. “We had 12 Teen girls and five Miss girls. Of the teens we had five of them make the top 10, and of the Misses we had four make the top 10, two make the top three and one make the top two. … That’s something that has never happened before, and we’re really proud of those numbers.”

The commission donated $350 to the foundation. The Miss Marshall County Scholarship Foundation provides scholarships to the winners of the pageant.

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