LATEST NEWS
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Depot reaches
milestone
By the East Oregonian
eonews@eastoregonian.com
HERMISTON — Umatilla Chemical
Depot workers reached a milestone Tuesday as they emptied the first igloo
containing nerve and mustard-gas munitions containers.
There are more than 100 igloos containing chemical weapons and nerve
agents at the Depot.
The one emptied Tuesday had stored sarin-filled M55 rockets since
the 1960s.
Workers at the Depot started moving pallets of 15 rockets each from
the igloo to the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility on Sept. 7.
Today, workers started moving pallets from a second igloo.
Depot spokeswoman Mary Binder said officials would not disclose the
number of rockets moved for security reasons.
“Emptying an igloo is another step toward ridding this community
of weapons of mass destruction and meeting our international treaty requirements,”
said Lt. Col. David Holliday, Depot commander, in a prepared statement. “I
have been extremely pleased with the movement operations.”
As of 9 this morning, 1,232 rockets and 5,098 pounds of liquid agent
have been destroyed.
The Depot has been storing more than 7.4 million pounds of nerve
and blister agents since the 1960s.