Unusual leaker found at depot

By Nathan Solheim
Assistant Metro Editor
03-17-2004

Workers at the Anniston Army Depot’s chemical weapons stockpile found a leaking 105-mm projectile in a storage igloo Tuesday. Joan Gustafson, a spokeswomen for the depot, said approximately an eighth of a cup of GB nerve agent had spilled out of the round onto the pallet on which it was stored. Also, an air monitor detected GB, or sarin, as workers entered the igloo to isolate the leaking projectile. Gustafson also said filters were in place at the igloo to protect the workers and remove agent from the air. Army officials said the reading was unconfirmed, meaning the monitor didn’t sound again after the initial detection. “That little bit of vapor drifted outside the igloo and was noted by the monitor,” said Mike Abrams, a spokesman for the chemical weapons incinerator. “We did not have a stream of agent coming out of the igloo or a big cloud of agent, it was my understanding there was a reading that was not confirmed, so it was a one-time detection of agent.” No workers were hurt or injured because of the incident, Army officials said. Leaking munitions are a common occurrence at the stockpile, which has had charge of thousands of deadly chemical weapons since the 1960s. In fact, 778 M-55 rockets filled with sarin have leaked over time. But Tuesday’s incident happened in a type of munition not prone to leaking. Only four such projectiles have been reported to leak, according to Army data. Also making the occurrence somewhat unique, officials said, was that agent leaked out of the bottom of the round. “It is not common for an artillery shell to be a leaker,” Abrams said “It’s even more uncommon for any agent to appear to be seeping from the side or bottom of the shell.” The liquid agent was cleaned up with a decontamination solution and equipment contaminated in the cleanup will be put in storage to be destroyed later. Abrams said the round was placed into an overpacked container while other workers searched the igloo for other possible leakers. Officials didn’t know what caused the leak. “I don’t know that anyone will be able to determine that,” Abrams said. “The people in the Anniston Chemical Activity have a procedure for checking on the condition of the weapons so we can track and record trends, but this is something that’s unusual. Their customary surveillance program is designed to look for things like this.”

About Nathan Solheim

Assistant Metro Editor Nathan Solheim is Minnesota native and a University of Georgia graduate.