Anniston Star
June 27, 2003

Aberdeen facility evacuated after chemical leak detected

By Sara Clemence
Star Staff Writer
06-27-2003

Workers at the chemical weapons disposal site in Aberdeen, Md., evacuated a building Sunday evening when air monitors detected mustard gas in part of the facility, officials said.

Two workers were in an airlock sealing waste material into the inner plastic bag of a 55-gallon drum when the monitoring system went off, said Jeff Lindblad, spokesman for the facility. The secondary waste included rags used in the processing area, he said.

"You could assume that there was some agent on some of the rags," he said.

The workers were taken to the on-site medical facility, where it was determined that they had not been exposed to any agent.

"They were both cleared and they returned to duties later during the shift," Lindblad said.

The air monitors did not detect any agent five minutes after the incident, he said. The Army is reviewing its hazardous waste management procedures to prevent such incidents in the future.

The Army notified the public Wednesday, after the Star inquired about the incident.

The disposal facility at Aberdeen Proving Ground has neutralized 3,900 gallons of mustard agent since it began operations in April, according to a press release. Under its accelerated destruction program at Aberdeen, the Army expects to finish destroying the remaining chemical warfare agent by the end of the year.