By James R. Carroll
jcarroll@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

WASHINGTON — A worker at a Kentucky chemical weapons storage facility filed a complaint yesterday alleging retaliation for his charges that its air monitors were improperly maintained.

Donald Van Winkle said he was taken off the operation of the air monitors and reassigned to a desk job at the Blue Grass Army Depot after he raised concerns that the devices were set up wrong and may have missed leaks.

Van Winkle last week asked the Defense Department's inspector general to investigate his charges. His retaliation complaint was filed with the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

"Until we get a chance to look at it, we really can't comment on it," said Richard Sloan, spokesman for the Blue Grass Chemical Activity , the agency in charge of storing and moni toring the weapons .

OSHA spokesman Al Belsky confirmed the agency had received Van Winkle's complaint, but said he could not comment on it. Under federal law, OSHA has 30 business days to investigate and report its findings.

Army Lt. Col. George Shuplinkov, commander of the Blue Grass Chemical Activity at Richmond, Ky., said last week that the monitoring procedures have been conducted properly and neither the public nor workers were in danger.

Shuplinkov also said Van Winkle had been barred from going near the chemical weapons until an internal investigation of the charges was completed.

Van Winkle, of Berea, Ky., has been at Blue Grass since 2002.

In his OSHA complaint, Van Winkle reiterated his charges about the air monitors.

Since airing those charges, Van Winkle "has become even more concerned about his job," said the letter to OSHA, written by Richard Condit, general counsel to the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, or PEER.

PEER is a nonprofit group that deals with government whistle - blowers and is representing Van Winkle.

The OSHA complaint added that Van Winkle believed the Blue Grass facility had insufficient staff to conduct routine or emergency operations involving the 45 buildings, or "igloos," where the chemical weapons are stored.

In addition, Van Winkle did not believe fire or hazardous material personnel were nearby to help handle an emergency involving the weapons, the complaint said.

Van Winkle was not available for an interview, according to PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch.