Contra Costa County, Calif., supervisor questions disaster readiness.

Byline: Rebecca Rosen Lum

Sep. 14--A Contra Costa supervisor called Tuesday for a probe of the county's capacity to protect its residents from an earthquake, flood or chemical release.

After administrators told supervisors Tuesday that the county is well prepared, Supervisor John Gioia said he wasn't buying it.

"New Orleans had a plan," said the supervisor from Richmond. "It wasn't implemented."

With a half-million people living along a 30-mile stretch of the Hayward fault and the 40 Delta levees in fragile shape, "we've got to get our act together," he said.

Gioia's contention is borne out by a UC Davis study that says chances …