Alarm sounds at Anniston depot, officals say none injured

The Associated Press
April 16, 2004

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Employees at the Army's chemical weapons incinerator underwent precautionary medical exams Friday after a chemical agent alarm sounded, but no one was hurt, officials said.

The employees were doing routine maintenance work on a heating-ventilation-air conditioner carbon filter when the alarm went off at the Anniston Army Depot Friday morning.

Site project manager Timothy K. Garrett said the four employees who were present at the time put on their protective masks and the filter area was secured as a precaution.

None of the employees had any medical complaints, but went to the medical clinic for evaluation as required by safety rules.

Garrett said no agent readings were found on the employees and there was no indication that they were exposed to nerve gas.

The Army Depot Emergency Operations Center alerted local county emergency centers and an "all clear" was announced shortly after noon.

Chemical agent disposal operations resumed around 4 p.m.

Small amounts of PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are contained in M55 rockets the incinerator has been destroying since operations began last August. The rockets are loaded with GB nerve agent, more commonly called sarin.

Employees had destroyed 23,226 GB-filled rockets and 25,010 gallons of the nerve agent as of Thursday.