136th Year... and still on the job!	Saturday November 05, 2005

Trace of mustard agent triggers Maryland alarm

THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - An alarm was triggered Friday morning at the Aberdeen Chemical Agent Disposal Facility by a trace amount of mustard agent still left in a ton container that was being inspected.

The Aberdeen facility finished its water neutralization of bulk mustard agent earlier this year and the containers are now being cleaned. Aberdeen had a stockpile of mustard agent in containers and used the similar water neutralization techniques that will be used in Pueblo and at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky where the agent is inside ammunition.

Four workers had been inspecting the container when the alarm went off, causing them to immediately put on their protective masks and evacuate the building, a spokeswoman said.

As a precautionary measure, other workers in the same building also evacuated.

The four workers inspecting the container at the time of the alarm reported to the on-site medical clinic for observation and were medically cleared and returned to work.

Army and contractor officials determined that a container tube was plugged with solids and water potentially containing agent residue and the water temporarily masked agent level readings.

The ABCDF has safely cleaned more than 64 percent of the drained and emptied containers and has begun facility closure activities.The container that triggered the alarm once stored mustard agent and had reached the last stage of an 11-step automated process where it was cut in half; washed with hot, high-pressure water; steam cleaned and dried; and monitored to clean levels.