Hazard plan needs community input

MAT-SU -- Are you more concerned about a wildfire sweeping through your neighborhood or an accident involving a vehicle carrying toxic chemicals?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has required communities across the nation to compile hazard mitigation plans, according to information from Bea Adler, with the Mat-Su Borough Department of Emergency Services. One stipulation was made clear, Adler said -- local communities must get their community members involved in the creation of the mitigation plan.

"Only you know what the problems are," Adler told a group of borough residents from the Knik and Point MacKenzie community council areas last week. "It's unique -- FEMA won't accept the plan if it's written by people paid to write it."

Adler explained that the survey largely deals with natural and some man-made hazards. It gauges concern over several hazards, ranging from wind, erosion and landslides to natural gas line ruptures or hazardous material spills on the railroad. Space is made available on the survey to discuss particular hazards that have directly affected survey takers while living in the borough and asks for suggestions as to how to limit those damages. The survey also asks people to rate various proposed hazard mitigation measures. Adler said the information may, in the future, be used to determine where FEMA funding is routed in the case of future natural disasters.

"It's a little bit of a popularity campaign," Adler said. "We're going to make sure that what you're concerned about gets in the plan."

To gather public input, Adler said, the borough will mail out about 8,000 surveys to property owners in the borough. The surveys are also available at borough libraries and at the borough's Cottonwood Creek Public Safety building just off Seward Meridian Parkway.

Adler said the requirement has been largely unfunded, although enough funding was set aside so the state could fill two temporary positions geared at helping communities implement the plan on a statewide level.

The plan, Adler said, must be implemented by Nov. 1, 2004, and the borough is hoping to use the lead time to include as much public input as possible.