Umatilla Chemical Weapons Depot on Pentagon's Closure List
Army says destroying chemical warfare still a top priority

JESSICA SWAIN
Last updated: Saturday, May 14th, 2005 12:28:57 AM

The Chemical Weapons Depot in Umatilla is on the Pentagon's list of base closures.

The Pentagon has proposed closing the Umatilla Chemical Weapons Depot as part of a nationwide plan to reduce military expenses. Neither the City of Hermiston nor the Depot say the announcement is a surprise.

"Closure of the base just fits in with growth we're already seeing here and we'll just utilize it out there for growth of the City of Hermiston," says Hermiston Mayor Bob Severson.

Army spokesperson Mary Binder says that's been part of the plan for years. More than a decade ago the Depot's mission changed from holding conventional ammunition to destroying chemical warfare.

"We've been working ourselves out of a job everyday," says Binder. "We're one step closer and we've known that, we work toward that and we have had no other mission other than the chemical warfare agent mission."

Binder says Friday's announcement is actually good news. She says there are advantages that come with being on the closure list. Those include employee and community assistance, environmental clean-up, and real estate transfer.

"In some cases dollars that might be available to help the Depot and any kind of environmental clean-up, real estate transfer location," says Binder.

Still Binder says the Depot won't close until all chemical agents are destroyed. She says that's still 8 to 10 years down the road. Hermiston Mayor Bob Severson says when that happens the city will be prepared.

"There's a rail system out there that could be untilized," says Severson. "There's a small airfield out there that could be utilized so we don't see it as a detriment whatsoever. We feel it's an asset."

Severson says a team is already studying potential use of the land.

Binder says so far the Army has destroyed about 13-thousand sarin rockets. It has 207-thousand chemical agents left to destroy. The army expects it to take until 2010 to finish incineration, then another three years to clean-up the base.

When all is said and done, the Depot will lose more than 500 employees. Binder says those workers could transfer to other bases or retire.