Tooele Transcript Bulletin
May 8, 2003

Burner resumes operations after temporary shutdown

by Andrew Weeks
Staff Writer

For the third time in two months, the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility shut down its incinerator Saturday when VX agent vapor was detected in an observation corridor inside the plant.

"This is not a confidence builder," stated Craig Williams, director of Chemical Weapons Working Group.

The burner closed last July after a worker was exposed to nerve agent. The Army said it took corrective measures at that time, and that the plant received a safety makeover. However, since it resumed operations on March 28, the burner has been shut down three different times due to safety hazards.

While environmentalists such as Williams would like to see TOCDF incorporate non-burn disposal techniques, such as chemical suspension, the Army says it's confident they can adequately dispose of the stockpile housed at the Deseret Chemical Depot. TOCDF opened in 1996 and has since destroyed over 6,000 tons of the 13,617 tons of chemical agents stored at the depot.

In a press release issued Thursday morning, depot spokesman Chuck Sprague said improperly installed check valves were the culprit of Saturday's incident. However, corrective actions have been taken, including inspections throughout the plant, and the burner is once again up and running.