Mechanical glitches again stop incinerator test

By Rob Jordan
Star Staff Writer
03-17-2005

For a third straight day, mechanical glitches Wednesday continued to hinder a test burn at Calhoun County’s chemical weapons incinerator, according to officials there. Around 10 a.m., about 30 minutes after it began, a test of the metal-parts furnace, which processes eight-inch artillery shells, was stopped, according to Tim Garrett, the Army’s site manager. A small part broke on a conveyor mechanism that carries up to 7,000 pounds of shells that have been drained of nerve agent. The break caused the conveyor to malfunction, Garrett said. “It happens when you’re moving something that heavy,” Garrett said. The burn, a mandatory test of emissions and processing rate at the facility, originally was scheduled for Monday, but was rescheduled when a pump in a pollution-cleaning system lost power. The problem did not affect the furnace, but officials decided to stop the burn in the interest of safety and proper data gathering. That night, workers discovered mechanical problems with a machine that removes blaster caps and with a robot that drains chemical agent from projectiles. Workers repaired the machinery by Tuesday afternoon, but the test burn was put off until Wednesday. Garrett said he expects to have the conveyor fixed in time for another try at the test burn this morning. Alabama Department of Environmental Management officials are monitoring the burn, which will measure emissions from the furnace and determine how many shells at a time can be fed through.

About Rob Jordan

Rob Jordan covers Oxford for The Star.