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

Rocket milestone in sight for depot

Published Tuesday, August 1st, 2006

By Jeannine Koranda, Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON -- The Umatilla Chemical Depot expects by this weekend to destroy its last sarin-filled rocket, a milestone in the effort to eliminate the nation's deadly chemical arsenal.

 

Officials at the depot near Hermiston aren't quite ready to celebrate, although Morrow County officials and representatives of the Oregon Citizens Advisory Commission Chemical Demilitarization group are pleased about the news.

 

"We're not done with rockets until we're done with rockets," said Don Barclay, depot site project manager.

 

In September 2004, workers began draining, cutting up and burning the first of 91,000 M55 rockets -- the most of the nation's eight chemical weapons storage sites -- filled with GB sarin nerve agent.

 

Once the facility destroys the last rocket, workers for Washington Group International -- which is contracted to run the depot's incineration facility -- will spend about two months changing equipment to dismantle and destroy 61,652 projectiles filled with GB sarin.

 

The expected destruction of the last rocket follows the elimination of all the depot's sarin-filled bombs, which occurred in June.

 

But Doug Hamrick, project manager for Washington Group International, isn't thinking about milestones. He said the daily emphasis at the depot has been to "stay focused on what we are doing today."

 

"The last rocket can cause us as much of a problem as any rocket along the way," Hamrick said.

 

Robert Flournoy, who has been chairman of the Oregon Citizens Advisory Commission Chemical Demilitarization for eight years, said he'll be glad to see the last GB rocket destroyed.

 

"It's a real milestone," he said.

 

And Morrow County Commissioner John Wenholz is looking forward to the day when there are no more chemical munitions left at the depot. Officials predict the depot's entire stockpile to be eliminated in about four years.

 

"It will be exciting to see the end of all these munitions destroyed, which I believe includes mustard gas," Wenholz said.

 

Casey Beard, director of Morrow County Emergency Management, cautioned that as long as there are chemical weapons at the Umatilla site, there is a danger to the community. So emergency responders in the area need to stay trained and ready, he said.

 

"An accident can happen as long as there are any chemical weapons," Beard said.

 

Originally, Umatilla had 90 storage "igloo" bunkers that held 7.4 million pounds of deadly nerve and mustard agents. In addition to the GB rockets, there are more than 14,000 filled with the nerve agent VX.

 

The Army also has stashed land mines, spray tanks, bombs and steel containers filled with VX and mustard blister agent at the depot, which straddles Morrow and Umatilla counties.

 

Sue Oliver, spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Umatilla Chemical Demilitarization Program, said little would change for agency once the rockets are gone. The agency is working on renewing the incinerator's storage and operation permit, which expires in February 2007.

 

"Of course we're pleased that the facility is getting near the end of rockets. It is one less munition for us all to worry about," she added.

 

After the last rocket is destroyed, workers will begin destroying the depot's 14,246, 8-inch-wide projectiles. The munitions weigh about 203 pounds and are filled with 141/2 pounds of deadly sarin nerve agent. The agent attacks the central nervous system and can cause seizures and paralysis, and, in the most extreme cases, death.

 

The process will use all three of the facility's incinerator furnaces.

 

Hamrick said his workers have been getting hands-on lessons by visiting other sites like Anniston, Ala., that are destroying projectiles.

 

"Rockets, you just punch holes in and cut up," Hamrick said. "Projectiles, you have to disassemble."

 

Barclay said he expects demolition of the 8-inch projectiles to be completed in December or January. Then, the facility will begin destroying 155 mm projectiles.

 

When all the 155mm projectiles are destroyed, the facility will go through another changeover and convert to destroying munitions filled with VX nerve agent.