Public Safety Director Mark James does not agree with the evaluation by Representative Jack Jackson that the state is not making adequate progress is planning for a large-scale disaster. Jackson made the comments following last week’s Joint Committee on Terrorism, Bioterrorism, and Homeland Security, which Jackson chairs. James says homeland security officials are trying to make plans for what to do in case an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.5 or more hits the New Madrid Fault – and this is a bigger chore than what some folks might believe. James says his people are not just sitting around with their feet up, they’re getting ready to handle a major disaster. He points to the relief efforts that have been mounted in the wake of the tornadoes and the Taum Sauk Reservoir collapse as demostrating that his agency is making preparations to handle a large-scale disaster.