Tour of chemical depot eases fears of area high school students

This story was published Wed, Sep 27, 2000

By Mary Hopkin
Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON - When Ben Sherrett's family first moved to Stanfield, he was nervous about living so close to the Umatilla Chemical Depot.

The Stanfield High School junior had heard rumors.

"A news magazine we saw rated this area as one of the 10 most dangerous to live in the United States," Sherrett said.

Now some of Sherrett's fears have been quelled.

The tall, dark-haired 16-year-old was among nearly 100 area high school students who toured the depot Tuesday.

"I thought there would be a few guys in camos with guns just guarding everything," said Sherrett, dressed in a white toga as part of Stanfield's homecoming week celebration. "But this is real high-tech stuff. It helps to know there are smart people here who are dedicated to keeping everyone safe."

High school students from Hermiston, Echo, Stanfield, Umatilla and Boardman weaved their way through five separate stations at the depot, said coordinator Don Gillis, the depot's environmental protection specialist.

The students were given a brief history lesson about the depot, shown the large, double-walled steel cylinders that will be used to remove munitions from the storage igloos and transport them to the incinerator plant, which is about 87 percent complete. They also learned about the incineration process and were taken on a bus tour that included a stop at the incinerator plant's observation overlook.

The students even got the opportunity to try on some of the white protective gear worn by the workers handling the chemical weapons.

Depot commander Lt. Col. Tom Woloszyn accompanied the students on some of the bus tours and answered their questions.

"I love working with the kids," Woloszyn said. "My wife is a teacher at Hermiston Christian School, and my son is even here today, although it's not quite as exciting for him."

For students visiting the depot for the first time, like Sherrett and Echo junior Kimberly Holben, the experience was an eye-opener.

"I thought this was going to be boring," Holben said. "But it was really cool. I was surprised at how laid back everybody was."

Woloszyn said he will continue working with the schools and the students.

"We are trying to do this every year," Woloszyn said. "We don't have a huge Army base here that leaves a footprint on the community, so this is a great opportunity for us."

Woloszyn, who has a master's degree in chemistry, said he would also like to visit area schools and talk to the kids about chemistry and the Army as career options.

 

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