Anniston Star
August 28, 2003

Nerve agent incineration to begin Sunday

By Geni Certain
Online Director
08-28-2003, 12:20 p.m.

Liquid nerve agent disposal is set to begin at Anniston Army Depot on Sunday, according to Mike Abrams, the Army's spokesman for the facility.

Approximately 800 gallons of GB have been collected in a holding tank since M55 rocket disposal operations began Aug. 8, Abrams said in a press release Thursday. The agent will be pumped to the liquids incinerator, where it will be burned at approximately 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit.

Initial use of the liquids incinerator will be limited to 50 percent of capacity in accordance with plans to start at slow and deliberate rates. The liquids incinerator has been tested and proven fully functional through a series of surrogate trial burns, Abrams said. Operations to this point have not included the use of this incinerator.

In deference to community wishes, initial use of the liquids incinerator will be limited to the weekends, or between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. during weekdays. Hours of operations of the liquids incinerator will be lifted once overpressurization is complete at identified schools and other facilities, expected to be in early October, Abrams said.

Chemical weapons disposal operations began on Aug. 8, when the first chemical munitions stored at Anniston Army Depot were delivered to the incineration facility for disposal. The first two M55 rockets with nerve agent GB were destroyed the following day.

In the process, rockets are drained and cut into eight pieces. The pieces, which include the fiberglass shipping and firing tube, solid fuel for the rocket motor, and explosives, are destroyed in the deactivation furnace at approximately 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. The liquid agent is collected in a holding tank until a sufficient quantity is accumulated to start the liquids incinerator.

Incinerator employees have safely drained and destroyed 695 M55 rockets as of 9 a.m. Thursday, Abrams said.