NEWKIRK, Ok. -- A small community is fighting against the federal government’s biochemical warfare testing.
Through a contract with Oklahoma, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will release what they say is a non-toxic powder substance near Chilocco Indian School in Newkirk in January and June.
The powder substance is meant to simulate the behavior of harmful biological materials that could be used during a terror attack. Officials want to see if the substance could get into homes and buildings and how resilient humans could be inside.
Shellie Becker, a resident of Arkansas City, Kansas just a few miles north of Chilocco Indian School, said, “We feel very strongly that it's not OK for them to do this in our town."
Becker works at the school district just a mile and a half away from the proposed testing site.
She went on, “I don't want my children out there on the playground playing. I don't want to be standing out there on recess duty while they're spraying these chemicals."
Becker and many others along the Oklahoma-Kansas border are worried about how the chemical powder released in the air could potentially hurt wildlife, crops, water, and even people.
Candace Stephens explained, "I had a child that died of asthma because of particles in the air. I have a child that is still suffer from asthma. I have a grandbaby now. I don't want them to have to worry about or me have to worry about what could happen if they breathe in any type of particle that could possibly kill.”
But officials with Homeland Security say the non-toxic powder substance will have such a small concentration, it's practically harmless. That is unless you're right next to it, in which case those administering the tests will wear protective gear.
However, resident wonder if the test at Chilocco Indian School, which was abandoned in 1980, will affectively compare to a biochemical terrorist attack like it's supposed to.
Stephens said, “This is not even going to show them any tiny part of what could happen. This is not going to show anybody anything but if somebody just shot a little ole powder over here."
That’s why residents around Chilocco want the project moved.
Stephens suggested, “Move it to Area 51. Move it to some remote area out in the desert if you want to test a chemical that you say is really not harmful."
Becker added, “I don't want this to be a ghost town. I don't want people to move away because of the chemicals. And I don't want to fix it after. Why can't we prevent it?"
Residents in Arkansas City have already had a number of protests fighting against the chemical testing and say they've garnered nearly 7,000 signatures for a petition.
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