Depot calls in Army bomb squad

This story was published Thu, Apr 12, 2001

By Mary Hopkin
Herald Oregon bureau

UMATILLA - An Army bomb squad was called in from Yakima on Wednesday to check out a suspicious item that was found at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility construction site.

More than 300 construction workers were sent home for the day after the item was found about 3 p.m., said Army spokesman Jim Hackett.

Other Washington Demilitarization Co. employees and the depot's administrative area workers and lab personnel remained on duty.

About 1,000 employees work at the depot and its incinerator site, seven miles west of Hermiston.

Hackett would not give specific details about the item but said it was found in a building at the construction site.

"It's believed to look like a bomb or something that could cause an explosion," Hackett said.

The Army's bomb squad, the Explosive Ordnance Detachment of Yakima, was deployed to Umatilla shortly after 3 p.m. but didn't arrive at the depot until nearly 7 p.m. Police and the FBI also were notified, Hackett said.

The bomb squad, which arrived on the scene at 6:30 p.m., finished its investigation about 7:30 p.m. but found no explosive materials or devices. The crew attached explosives, blew up the item and salvaged the debris for further investigation.

This is the second time in a year the bomb squad has been called to Umatilla.

Lt. Col. Tom Woloszyn, depot commander, said the incident will be fully investigated.

"While we regret these types of incidents, our employees again demonstrated their proficiency of the proper emergency procedures in such a way that I am confident that the safety and security of the depot and its personnel are assured," Woloszyn said.

In July, a suspicious package was found at the construction site after the site had received nearly a dozen bomb threats in the preceding five months.

The Army will use the plant to dispose of 7.4 million pounds of deadly nerve and mustard agents stored at the depot.

The weapons must be destroyed to satisfy an international treaty.

 

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