Global Security Newswire

The Umatilla Chemical Depot in Oregon late Tuesday restarted destruction of mustard blister agent stored in bulk containers, the U.S. Army announced (see GSN, May 4).

The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility conducted a nearly two-month trial burn that was intended to demonstrate the plant could meet performance guidelines and state emissions standards. The trial period ended June 27 and was followed by a standard yearly maintenance shutdown for the site's metal parts furnace.

The facility to date has eliminated 374 ton containers of mustard agent, roughly 14 percent of the depot's stockpile, according to an Army press release. All other chemical warfare materials at the installation have been destroyed.

The destruction plant is scheduled to begin incineration operations at half the rate authorized under the trial burn. The pace of work could be increased after state environmental regulators assess the data collected during testing.

The Army Chemical Materials Agent said it continues to work to finish off the Umatilla stockpile by the April 2012 deadline set by the Chemical Weapons Convention (see GSN, July 7).

“We will do all we can to comply with the international treaty, but safety guides the schedule,” Steve Warren, project general manager for plant contract operator URS, said in a prepared statement. “A successful trial burn was a great step towards reaching that goal" (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency release I, July 14).

Meanwhile, another low-level mustard agent vapor leak has been discovered at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the Army said this week.

The leak was detected Monday morning in a structure used for storage of artillery shells. A filter was installed on the igloo to prevent the release of mustard vapor into the environment and personnel were working to find the leaking munition. When found, the weapon would be put inside an "overpack container" to close off the leak.

Depot staff are also trying to identify the source of a leak identified on July 6 in a separate artillery storage igloo, according to an Army press release.

This is not the first time that two leaks have occurred simultaneously, the Army said. There is no connection between the leaks, which can become more common as temperatures rise, it added (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency release II, July 12).