LOCAL
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
DEQ reports possible
snag in incineration startup
By AMYJO BROWN
of the East Oregonian
ajbrown@eastoregonian.com
HERMISTON — There are
just three things left that could delay the start of incineration of weapons
stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot, including a worrisome court decision
handed down two weeks ago, according to a report to the Oregon Environmental
Quality Commission released yesterday.
The report, prepared by the local office of the Department of Environmental
Quality, is meant to help the EQC make its decision next week on whether
or not to give approval for the U.S. Army to destroy 7.4 million pounds of
nerve and blister chemical agents contained in a variety of munitions at
the depot.
The Commission will meet specially for the decision in Hermiston
Aug. 13.
In its report, the DEQ advised that test results for the operation
of a hazardous waste disposal system, the Brine Reduction Area, failed to
satisfy the state’s permit requirements. It also said it was waiting for
the Army to provide a detailed description of the data it will provide for
the environmental impact of its first trial burn of chemical agent.
The DEQ advised in the report that it expects both of those issues
to be resolved before next week’s EQC meeting.
However, it said a July 26 court ruling by the Multnomah County Circuit
Court will require a modification to the state’s permit for the Umatilla
Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, a potentially time-consuming process.
In that court decision, known as “GASP III,” the judge requested
the Army notify depot employees of their obligation to report concerns regarding
the safety of the facility and that it provide assurance that the employees
will not be “disadvantaged” in any way by reporting concerns.
The permit modification would add language ensuring compliance with
the court order, the DEQ report said.
But, in offering the EQC recommendations for the decisions it might
make next week, the DEQ indicated that the permit modification may not be
processed in time, and that the EQC could condition startup of incineration
on completion of the permit modification.
“Under a conditional commission approval, UMCDF would not be able
to begin agent shakedown operations until the conditions were met,” the report
said.
However, the report also advised that such a decision was not the
preference of DEQ personnel.
“The department would prefer that a conditional approval be avoided,”
the report stated.
The other two options left for the EQC are to take no action, or
to approve the start of chemical agent operations. If the Commission approves
the start of chemical operations, the first rocket could then be moved from
storage to the incinerator in just a matter of days, the report said.