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The final major phase in the destruction of chemical weapons started
Friday at Tooele Chemical Disposal Facility at Deseret Chemical Depot
about 20 miles southeast of Tooele.
It will take four to six years to incinerate over 6,000
tons of
mustard agent stored mostly in bulk containers. It is estimated that 15
to 20 percent of the containers include traces of mercury. Workers
drained the first container Friday after several months of testing and
planning the process. Officials at DCD indicated that with the nerve
agent already destroyed, the risk of a major accident is reduced
immensely.
"We have already safely eliminated 7,409 tons of
chemical agent, and
more than one million munitions, reducing the risk to the community and
the environment by 99 percent," said Ted Ryba, TOCDF site project
manager.
Workers continue to sample the containers to identify
those with no
mercury and low sludge and sediment content. These containers will be
processed during the next one and one-half years. During this time
employees will design and install special filters for the furnace
abatement systems. The addition of these sulfur-impregnated carbon
filters will remove mercury from exhaust components generated when
mustard containers with higher levels of mercury are processed at a
later date.
The destruction of the 6,194 tons of mustard agent is
the largest
single chemical agent destruction campaign the U.S. Army will conduct
in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention. The event coincides
with the 10th anniversary of the start of operations at the facility.
Chemical material handlers already changed plugs and
valves on one
of the bulk containers on July 31 when agent vapor was detected at one
of the storage igloos. The depot notified Tooele County officials and
reported that the incident created no danger to surrounding
communities.
On Aug. 14 at CAMDS, an older facility separate from
TOCDF, workers
processed the first basket of hazardous waste through its metals parts
furnace. This facility is scheduled to close in October of 2008.
Processing of this basket represents the beginning of closure
activities for this former research and development facility that
pioneered incineration and neutralization technologies currently being
used at disposal sites across the nation.
CAMDS will continue with scheduled closure operations
and treatment
of associated wastes. Closure wastes, such as waste created from the
dismantling of the former research facility's liquid incinerator, are
classified as hazardous because they are contaminated with low levels
of agent residue.
Deseret Chemical Depot is on the closure list published
by the Base
Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC). Public Affairs Specialist
Alaine Southworth said the deadline for complete dismantling and
recycling of facilities at DCD is now set for 2016.
"If we can complete the mission by as soon as 2012 that
would
benefit the taxpayer, but the deadline has been extended until 2016,"
she said.
e-mail:mwatson@tooeletranscript.com
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