12/25/2004
The Umatilla Chemical Depot has resumed destroying sarin nerve agent-filled
rockets following a three-week break to retrain workers. At least 27 rockets were destroyed Thursday and processing will resume
on Monday, Depot spokeswoman Mary Binder said. On Dec. 1, two workers accidentally cracked the seal on a door inside one
of the filter units that allowed a small amount of chemical agent vapor to
escape into an adjacent room. The workers were not exposed to the agent and no vapors were released
into the atmosphere. Washington Group International, the firm contracted to carry out the processing
of the chemical weapons stockpile, analyzed the mishap and conducted the
retraining to the satisfaction of the U.S. Army and the state Department of
Environmental Quality, Binder said. Dennis Murphey, administrator of the chemical demilitarization program
for DEQ, said the problem was caused by a disregard for procedures and a breakdown
in communication between workers. Additional safeguards, such as locks on some areas, were part of the plan
to get the operation back under way, he said. A total of 2,300 rockets have been destroyed to date, Depot officials
said.