Pueblo Depot Finishes Off Mustard Agent Leak
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

Work ended yesterday on an extended project to identify and address the source of a mustard agent leak at the Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado, the U.S. Army said (see GSN, Oct. 22).

Sensors identified leaking blister agent on Aug. 24 inside a munitions holding facility. The igloo was decontaminated using an air filter system, according to an Army press release.

Depot personnel, wearing protective gear, then began covering and separating pallets used to store the more than 17,000 shells warehoused in the igloo.

One column of pallets secured with plastic sheeting was found to be emitting mustard vapor on Sept. 2. Workers then dismantled the column into separate pallets so they could identify the exact source of the leak. Mustard liquid was found to be leaking from one shell and mustard vapor escaping from another.

Workers moved the leaking munitions into more secure containers and transported them to a different storage facility on Thursday.

"All operations were carried out under strict engineering controls, safely protecting the surrounding communities, depot employees and the environment," the release states (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency release, Nov. 9)