Deseret News
May 5, 2003

Nerve agent detected; depot operations halt

STOCKTON, Tooele County - Operations at the Deseret Chemical Depot were halted when alarms detected VX nerve agent Saturday.
Alarms inside an observation corridor south of the Munitions Processing Bay sounded at 3:16 p.m., depot spokesman Chuck Sprague said. Workers, who are required to carry gas masks, were instructed to wear them as they began to determine the source of the alarms.
No workers were in the corridor at the time of the alarms. The area was under engineering controls, Sprague said.
Sprague did not know when operations would be restarted. The cause of the alarms was under investigation Sunday.
The U.S. Army is incinerating VX and other agents in Tooele County as part of an international treaty requiring the United States to destroy such chemical weapons.
Saturday's incident did not bring danger to the depot's employees, the surrounding communities or environment, Sprague said.