Deseret News 11/04/03

Deseret News, Tuesday, November 04, 2003

Crew harnesses depot agent vapor

DESERET CHEMICAL DEPOT — A ventilation system failure Monday sounded an alarm and sent four technicians working with a GB nerve agent out of their Deseret Chemical Depot laboratory.

After they left, a small amount of the diluted agent in vapor form wafted around the room until redundant filter systems caught it and prevented the vapor from leaving the room, said depot spokeswoman Alaine Southworth.

The four workers were preparing a highly diluted sample of the deadly agent for monitor calibration when the incident occurred. The depot stores a small amount of diluted GB to prepare samples necessary to calibrate monitoring devices, Southworth said.

She said Tooele County authorities were notified. There was no danger to surrounding communities because none of the agent left the laboratory, Southworth said.