LEAK EYED IN ARSENAL FIRE PROBE

By Wilson Brown/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Tuesday,  June 14, 2005 

Investigators suspect the warehouse fire at the Pine Bluff Arsenal June 6 began by a leaking container of white phosphorus, an Arsenal official said.

Col. Tom Woloszyn, the Arsenal's commander, said Monday, that a private investigation team discovered a "pallet... where they suspect the fire started in the warehouse."

Woloszyn said last week that a leak in one container of white phosphorus could ignite a chain reaction catching other canisters on fire.

Fire investigation reports aren't expected to be released for another two weeks, he said.

"I don't expect them out this week. I want a thorough report. I don't want a quick one," Woloszyn said.

The Arsenal will set a date for cleanup once investigations are finished, according to Woloszyn.

The 17-hour blaze June 6 destroyed a warehouse and more than 7,500 canisters of white phosphorus, a chemical the Arsenal uses in incendiary devices and in smoke screenings and signals for its 155 millimeter shells.

The Arsenal is the Army's sole supplier of white phosphorus ammunition in the Western Hemisphere.

Woloszyn said the fire will have no impact on the Arsenal's phosphorus production.

"Those containers were not scheduled to be put into the rounds themselves," he said.

White phosphorus ignites at 90 degrees Fahrenheit or when it comes in contact with air, according to Arsenal officials.

The World War II wooden and concrete warehouse where the phosphorus was being stored was not climate controlled and did not have electricity or a sprinkler system, Woloszyn said.

"We have plans in place but no funding for a new warehouse system," Woloszyn said. "We're definitely going to take care of those. We're constantly updating."

The Arsenal is scheduled to receive a new phosphorus plant by 2007, with funding from the fiscal year 2004 defense budget, he said.

Meanwhile, site investigations are still ongoing, according to Woloszyn.

"We're still doing an initial study," said Cheryl Avery, an Arsenal spokeswoman.

The investigation was delayed after the fire reignited Thursday, causing an Army accident investigation board and a private fire investigation team to pull back from the scene.

Misters are being used to lightly spray water on the debris to keep it from reigniting.

"It did well. No flare ups, no smoke," Woloszyn said of the misters. "You still have some smoldering. I don't know if it's the debris or the phosphorus."

The system uses approximately 10 gallons of water an hour, Avery said.

The runoff is collected from the misters and then transported to the Arsenal's water treatment center on post, she said.

"We're collecting the water and have it all dyked up so it won't go into tributaries," Woloszyn said.

White phosphorus can be potentially dangerous if directly inhaled, according to officials with the Arsenal and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.

Prolonged exposure to white phosphorus can cause mild skin irritations, watery eyes, coughing and a sore throat. Residents should seek medical attention if the symptoms persist, Arsenal officials said.

Two Jefferson County sheriff's deputies said their skin itched for about an hour after being exposed to the smoke last week.

The Arsenal plans to release reports during a news conference Wednesday about how far the smoke plumes reached into Jefferson County, Avery said.