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Toxic sealant not linked to illnessThis story was published Tue, Apr 24, 2001
UMATILLA - A bottle of toxic sealant found Wednesday at the Umatilla Chemical Depot was not responsible for the mysterious Sept. 15, 1999, accident that left more than three dozen construction workers gasping for air. Rick Kelley of Washington Demilitarization Co. said the half-used bottle of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide was last used at the site to seal storage tanks March 18, 1999. The bottle was then stored inside the flammable materials storage unit where it was found last week. When the bottle was found, Washington Demilitarization officials believed it was unstable and called the Oregon State Police bomb squad to dispose of it. But after talking with hazardous materials experts, officials instead took the bottle to a hazardous waste storage area at the depot. The substance can cause symptoms similar to those suffered by the workers who mysteriously became ill in September 1999 - including coughing, breathing difficulty, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin, nose and eye irritation. But Kelley said it is "highly unlikely" the bottle was responsible for the illnesses. The bottle's history didn't surprise Lt. Col. Thomas Woloszyn, depot commander. "At this late in the game, it will be difficult to find a smoking gun," he said. About 1,000 employees work at the depot seven miles west of Hermiston, where the Army is building an incinerator to dispose of the 7.4 million pounds of deadly nerve and mustard agents stored at the depot. Eighteen workers claim to be the victims of chemical exposure from the mysterious accident. No official cause has been found. Although no one claims the workers were not exposed to a chemical, the Army says the workers were not exposed to the nerve agents sarin and VX, which are packed inside bombs and missiles at the depot. | |
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