Danvers fallout: unease on oversight

NOW THAT we all believe in miracles and can revel in the fact that no one got seriously hurt from the Danvers chemical plant explosion, how do we protect ourselves from this happening again? If local, state, and federal agencies didn't even have a list of known used chemicals at CAI, then how can the general public become more informed?

A deputy Danvers fire chief says, "We are not chemists" ("Oversight gap cited on waste at Danvers site," Page A1, Nov. 29). But fire officials need to know what toxic soup they are running into when they fight a fire. Town officials need to know what chemicals companies are using . State officials need to know what chemicals and how much are being used near their waterways and watersheds. Federal officials need to know what dangerous chemicals are being used by a company of any size in any state.

After the blast, I learned that there are loopholes in Massachusetts toxics laws that don't require smaller companies to report toxic chemical use. These companies are just more bombs waiting to explode. How can we track the use of dangerous chemicals? I would like to know what I am sleeping next to at night.

STEVE ANDRADA
Beverly

The writer owns property in Danversport.