Anniston, Tooele facilities retool, others continue chemical weapons disposal

After a few eventful weeks in the nation’s chemical weapons destruction program, weapons disposal around the country went along quietly this week. The Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility continued retooling to begin its 105 mm shell campaign this week. The Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Tooele, Utah, also is undergoing a retooling; that facility is switching over to process mustard agent. That process is not expected to be completed until the summer of 2006, said Alaine Southworth, a spokeswoman for Tooele. Other facilities continued disposal of their nerve agent and munitions stockpiles this week. The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Umatilla, Ore., which resumed weapons disposal last week after a three-week interruption caused by a series of fires, destroyed 1,530 rockets and 7,668 pounds of sarin between Wednesday, June 9 and Wednesday, June 15. To date the facility has destroyed 16,040 rockets and 161,976 pounds of nerve agent. The Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Pine Bluff, Ark., destroyed 1,187 sarin-filled rockets and 12,652 pounds of agent between Tuesday, June 7 and Monday, June 13. Pine Bluff destroyed its 10,000th rocket last week, bringing its overall total to 10,018 rockets and 92,668 pounds of agent destroyed. The Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility destroyed 2,624 pounds of chemical agent between Friday, June 10 and Monday, June 12. The facility has destroyed about 27,000 pounds of VX, all stored in bulk containers.

About Brian Lyman

Brian Lyman covers infrastructure and the cities of Heflin and Lincoln for the Anniston Star. He lives in Anniston.