Umatilla Facility to Begin VX Disposal This Week

The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Oregon is set to begin destroying VX nerve agent weapons this week, the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency said (see GSN, Oct. 16).

The upcoming effort follows the elimination of more than 155,000 munitions and 1,000 tons of sarin nerve agent between September 2004 and July of this year.

Just before 2 p.m. Friday, workers at the Umatilla Chemical Depot completed the first shipment of VX-loaded M55 rockets to the disposal facility.

The rockets were transported inside “enhanced on-site containers” designed to protect them from fire as well as any impacts during movement.  The containers are also intended to contain any nerve agent that might leak from the weapons

“We’ll remain vigilant as we continue the vital mission of chemical weapons disposal,” Lt. Col. Bob Stein, commander of the Umatilla site, said in a press release.  “Safety still comes first as we begin out second nerve agent campaign” (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency release, Oct. 26).

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