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Crews have successfully processed
the last of 22 recovered chemical weapons that had been fired on Dugway Proving
Ground ranges during chemical warfare testing in World War I and World War
II. Processing of the last sarin-filled bomblet was
dedicated to the late Monte Caldwell,
a safety engineer who worked with the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency
at nearby Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Tooele County. Caldwell,
44, died at his home on Sept. 11 after a battle with
cancer. "I am sure Monte would
celebrate this accomplishment, just as we are today," said Dave Hoffman,
leader of the Non-stockpile Chemical Materiel Program Operations. The munitions
were processed by the Explosive Destruction System, which has been operating
at Dugway
since July 18. Teams used the mobile system to treat 13 mustard mortars, two
sarin bomblets and seven containers of distilled sulfur mustard. The system
uses an explosion and vapor containment chamber to detonate a munition. It
then neutralizes
the chemical agent inside an airtight chamber. Army
officials ship the remaining liquid and fragments to commercial disposal
sites. |
