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Groups Oppose Mustard Gas Burning at Tooele
Opponents of mustard agent incineration at the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Utah said that processing weapons carrying the substance would release toxins that “are unsafe and unacceptable,” Chemical & Engineering News reported yesterday (see GSN, Oct. 4, 2005). The U.S. Army has asked the Utah Environmental Quality Department to allow burning of mustard gas with mercury levels of less than one part per million. Tooele plans to slow down processing speed “to barely meet federal mercury standards,” according to Craig Williams, head of the Chemical Weapons Working Group. The Environmental Quality Department believes that because the incinerator has no filtration system, the mercury would be released into the environment during processing, said Martin Gray, manager of the department’s chemical demilitarization office. A filtration system is expected later, he said, when the Army requests to burn mustard agent with more than one part per million of mercury. Gray believe the Army’s request “can be approved,” but added, “I can’t say it will be approved until we review public comments and perform our risk assessment.” Gray said that if the plan meets federal standards, the department will issue a modified permit allowing for the burning. Mustard disposal is expected to begin “later this summer,” said Elizabeth Lowes, environmental manager for contractor EG&G. Williams argued that the plan does not reduce mercury releases into the environment, but simply lengthens the release period. He claimed neutralizing mustard gas is safer than burning. “This reflects the inadequacy of the regulation and the unwillingness of DEQ to act in the best interest of communities,” he said (Lois Ember, Chemical & Engineering News, Feb. 27).
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