Hermiston Herald
January 3, 2003

Officials say emissions problems solved

By The Hermiston Herald

Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility and Army officials say they believe that Liquid Incinerator 1 emissions test problems have been resolved. Test results are expected soon. Identified during test burns in the fall of this year, the technical troubles had resulted in higher than expected heavy metal emissions.

"I am am confident that we have successfully diagnosed and corrected system deficiencies," PMCD's UMCDF Project Manager Don Barclay said.

Surrogate mini-burn tests had been suspended after September's technical problems which resulted in higher metals emissions than were desired, though the Army maintains that those emissions never exceeded the limits allowed by permit. During October and November the

Liquid Incinerator 1 and the Pollution Abatement System were inspected and evaluated to determine the cause of the higher metal emissions, and the Army reports that "corrective actions" were completed prior to Mini-Burn No. 3.

One or more instruments called candles apparently were not working properly and were replaced, according to Rick Kelly, spokesperson for Washington Demilitarization Company, the company hired to build and operate UMCDF.

The DEQ and the Army, on Dec. 6, had authorized UMCDF to resume feeding liquid surrogate testing material, which is similar to a degreaser and dry cleaning solution. The third mini-burn test was completed Dec. 29 and the results, which are being analyzed by the independent Utah contractor, IRC, were expected by late this week or early next week.

This test, referred to as Mini-Burn Test No. 3, actually consisted of two, three-hour tests, and was part of the ongoing surrogate activities, and tested the metal removal efficiency of the furnace and Pollution Abatement System. A fourth mini-burn is scheduled for January, under conditions expected to simulate the coming surrogate trial burns. The actual, state-required surrogate trial burns for each furnace will take place after the shakedown tests have confirmed that permit requirements can, indeed, be met.

Testing is continuing on the Liquid Incinerator 2, the Deactivation Furnace System, and the Metal Parts Furnace, and the Brine Reduction Area.

The Army reports no actual chemical agent has been used in the testing. Surrogate trial burn testing on the facility's four furnaces will continue on in 2003. "It is of the utmost importance to me to complete this sequence of tests safely and accomplish the job correctly," Barclay said.

For each furnace and related system, the same testing process will be repeated at a later date - with actual chemical warfare agent.