Tooele depot still in running for mercury storage contract By Judy Fahys The Salt Lake Tribune Tooele is still in the running to become the new, centralized home for the nation's mercury stockpile.     But the Defense National Stockpile Center, which released its final environmental impact statement for mercury March 17, will not say until December, at the earliest, whether it wants to store the material in Tooele or at one of four other locations.     Mark D. Smith of the Utah Industrial Depot said he hopes to land the storage contract once it goes up for bid.     His would be one of two sites competing against government-owned facilities where mercury already is stored. "There's no reason to get excited by that [prospect] until someone asks the golden question" for contract bids, he said. "We're still a year away from doing anything."     The government has been studying what to do with the mercury for about two years.     A silvery metal that is liquid at room temperature, mercury is one of 56 commodities stockpiled for the Pentagon.     Toxic to people and the environment, mercury vapors were long blamed for making the hat-makers who used it go "mad."     While the kind of mercury in the stockpile -- elemental mercury -- is considered the least dangerous form, it's hazardous enough to require triple-wrapping in steel canisters.     In the environmental report, the Defense National Stockpile Center opted against leaving the mercury stored in New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee.     It also rejected selling it on the world market, which carries the risk of losing control of the mercury and its possible release into the environment.     Asset manager for the 1,700-acre Tooele warehouse site, Smith has promoted mercury warehousing as a practical use for the 2.6 million square feet of buildings at the depot, a castoff military facility that cost $32 million to buy and refurbish as an industrial park.     Environmentalists, emergency officials and at least one of the depot's tenants have raised concerns about the proposal.     Jason Groenewold, executive director of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah, said the Pentagon appears to be putting too positive a spin on the Tooele site, downplaying its security and utility costs.     He added that the agency, which will be phased out of existence in two years, has no plans for the stockpile beyond 40 years.     "Wherever they end up sending it, that's where it will end up indefinitely," Groenewold said.     Defense National Stockpile Center spokesman Bob Jones pointed out that a provision of the catch-all appropriation bill Congress passed a few months ago contains a provision requiring the defense secretary to report to Congress on the mercury plan June 1.     fahys@sltrib.com