By Karen Hutchinson-Talaski
Staff writer

HERMISTON — Two workers were sent to the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility clinic on Monday after it was feared they had been exposed to chemical agent.

Blood tests determined the workers had not been exposed to GB sarin agent, according to Mary Binder, public affairs for the Umatilla Chemical Depot.

"There were no signs or symptoms," Binder said. "We had a second blood draw as a precaution on Tuesday."

Two workers inside the munitions demilitarization building's toxic maintenance area were testing a pump to see how much, if any, agent vapor was still inside the pump when the incident occurred around 1:30 p.m.. As workers probed the pump from the Explosive Containment Room with a wand connected to the ACAMS (Automatic Continuous Air Monitoring System) outside, one of the workers monitoring the ACAMS "heard a popping sound," Binder says.

"The flame in the machine went out and then came back on," Binder said.

The two workers were in protective suits. The toxic maintenance area is a contained room where toxic waste is managed. Two other workers were monitoring the ACAMS outside of the room.

The second ACAMS machine's alarm went off, indicating a potential vapor leak. The two workers immediately put on their masks. As a precaution, everyone at the plant put on their masks.

Rick Kelley, public affairs for Washington Demilitarization, says a large amount of vapor entered the ACAMS and "overwhelmed the machine."

"We have taken steps to make sure it doesn't happen again," Kelley said. "The lab came up with a solution and the engineers are working on the monitors."

Only a few ACAMS will have to be modified, Kelley says, based on the technology in the machines.

"This is all part of the ‘lessons learned' that we pass on to other facilities," Kelley said.

In the meantime, no rockets are being processed. Kelley says he hopes the facility will start production again this weekend.