Voice of the Mid-Columbia
Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Washington


Oregon judge tells state to re-examine mustard agent plans

Published Thursday, April 19th, 2007

JEANNINE KORANDA, HERALD OREGON BUREAU

HERMISTON -- An Oregon judge ordered the state Tuesday to re-examine its plans to destroy about 2,300 tons of mustard agent and agent-contaminated wastes at the Umatilla Chemical Depot.

Judge Michael Marcus of the Multnomah County Circuit Court ordered the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to reconsider whether burning the mustard agent and waste is the best option now that higher-than-expected levels of mercury have been found in some mustard agent.

The ruling does not stop the plant from burning its remaining GB sarin-filled weapons nor its VX nerve agent stockpile.

Incineration opponents called the ruling a victory. GASP, a Hermiston group opposed to burning chemical weapons, and the Chemical Weapons Working Group, a national group with similar aims, sued the state and the Army to try to force a change in disposal plans.

The suit is the latest attempt to stop burning of the chemical weapons stockpile. The groups want chemical weapons at the depot destroyed by neutralization technology, which they feel is safer.

"Incineration does not and cannot destroy mercury, but simply disperses mercury," said attorney Mick Harrison.

The groups say they fear incineration will release harmful chemicals like mercury and dioxins into the air.

Marcus did note in his ruling that mercury also is not neutralized by technologies supported by the incineration opponents.

In 2006, workers began sampling mustard agent at Deseret Chemical Depot near Tooele, Utah, and found higher-than-expected levels of mercury. The Utah site uses an incinerator similar to Umatilla's.

The Utah depot has burned about 892 tons of blister agent with low levels of mercury since August, said Deseret spokeswoman Alaine Southworth.

Officials there plan to install additional sulfur-impregnated carbon filters to remove mercury emissions when the incinerator begins handling containers with higher concentrations of mercury, she said.

The problem could appear at Umatilla because both sites' mustard stockpiles are from the same source, explained Don Barclay, Umatilla site project manager.

Oregon officials are watching Utah closely and developing an agent sampling plan, he said.

Rich Duvall, administrator of the state's Chemical Demilitarization Program, said he wasn't sure how long a review would take, but he doesn't anticipate delays.

The depot stores 2,635 containers of World War II-era mustard agent. Exposure to its vapors, which smell like garlic or mustard, can cause burning or stinging and redness on skin or in the eyes and blisters on the skin. It can cause weakness, vomiting and fever if swallowed.

Currently, the depot incinerator is burning sarin-filled 155mm projectiles. Officials expect the last of the sarin stockpile to be destroyed this summer and for the plant to start burning M55 rockets filled with VX nerve agent in early 2008.

Hal McCune, spokesman for Washington Group International, said it would likely be late 2009 or early 2010 before the plant starts processing mustard agent.