Umatilla Resumes Rocket Destruction

Incineration of rockets filled with sarin nerve agent at the Umatilla Chemical Weapons Depot in Oregon resumed yesterday even though officials have found no cause yet for fires that stopped weapons destruction at the plant in May, the Oregonian reported (see GSN, June 6).

Investigators suspect the age of the rocket propellant contained in the weapons as the cause for the fires. Oregon Health and Environmental Quality Department officials have allowed destruction to go forward under the assumption that more blasts will occur but can be safely contained.

Don Barclay, the Army’s manager at the site, said work was resuming slowly, and expressed hope the pace would return to normal in the near future (Andy Dworkin, Oregonian, June 10). 

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