Tuesday September 27, 2005

Associated Press

HERMISTON, Ore.-- The Umatilla Chemical Depot has successfully destroyed it's first bomb.

KGW    The Umatilla depot stores about 3,700 tons of the nation's chemical stockpile of mustard, sarin and VX nerve agent.

For several months now, the depot -- which has one of the nation's largest stockpiles of chemical weapons -- has been working to destroy rockets, containing nerve gas.

The bomb -- known as a "G-B-Agent bomb" is the second type of weapon to be destroyed at the depot.

Under international law, the depot needs to destroy the dangerous weapons.

On Tuesday afternoon, workers at the destruction facility punched and drained two of the bombs, which like the rockets contain sarin nerve agent.

Each bomb ways around 750 pounds.

The facility has around 2,400 bombs to destroy.