Local



Posted on  Thu,  Jun. 16, 2005

Sarin leaks found in 2 rockets at Depot
SAME AREA HAD THREE LEAKS IN MAY


HERALD-LEADER STAFF REPORT


Two more chemical leaks were found Tuesday in a storage igloo at Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond.

Workers found the nerve agent GB, also known as Sarin, leaking from two M55 rockets in a group of about 2,500 in that particular site, said depot spokesman Richard Sloan.

The two were placed in leakproof containers and isolated from the bulk of the rockets in the igloo, Sloan said.

The pair were found in the same area as three rockets that were leaking in May.

Once multiple tests show there are no more leaks, the five rockets will be removed to a separate igloo that currently contains 71 rockets once identified as leaking, Sloan said.

Workers will test the igloo over the weekend for traces of GB, which is odorless, colorless and evaporates quickly.

More than 51,000 M55 rockets and nearly 4,000 8-inch projectiles filled with the decades-old nerve agent are stored at the depot.

The Army plans to build a $2 billion chemical neutralization plant to destroy the depot's 523-ton stockpile of nerve and mustard agent. A treaty calls for the work to be completed by April 2012.