Workers at the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (TOCDF) eliminated on Monday the greatest risk to the community from stored chemical weapons, by safely destroying the last chemical agent-filled M55 rocket in the Deseret Chemical Depot (DCD) stockpile.

The successful safe destruction of the final VX rocket has eliminated the single greatest risk to the off-post community from a potential explosive accident involving the release of chemical agent from the storage stockpile, according to a press release.

“This is not only a great milestone for our workers in the DCD storage area and the TOCDF,” said Col. Peter Cooper, DCD commander, “it’s a milestone for our nation, and it shows the world we’re serious about eliminating the U.S. stockpile of chemical weapons and protecting Americans from an aging chemical stockpile.”

“Rockets were destroyed first in both the VX and GB agent campaigns because of concerns about the stability of the propellant in these munitions,” said Dale Ormond, Army Site Project Manager of TOCDF. “Achieving this milestone represents a team effort among the Army, the public and the Utah Department of Solid and Hazardous Wastes.”

“Our workers safely handled thousands of these deteriorating rockets and warheads, and the community is safer today because they’re gone,” said Steve Frankiewicz, General Manager of the TOCDF operations and maintenance contractor, EG&G Defense Materials, Inc.

All GB munitions in the DCD stockpile were safely destroyed as of March 15, 2002. Destruction of VX nerve agent began on March 28, 2003, and completion is expected late summer 2004. Less than 7,510 of the original stockpile’s 13,617 tons of nerve and blister agent remains to be destroyed. Chemical operations at the TOCDF are expected to be completed in 2007.