Panel gives OK to recommend chemical weapons destruction

This story was published Wed, May 15, 2002

By Karen Zacharias
Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON -- A 20-member executive review panel voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend that Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber give the Army permission to destroy the Umatilla Chemical Depot's chemical weapons stockpile.

The decision came over the objections of critics of the plan to incinerate the weapons. They pointed to a new study of the toxicity of the weapons that indicates more people in a larger area would be at risk from an accidental nerve gas release.

"I think the confidence you see here today is confidence in our first responders," said Chris Dearth, a panel member and environmental project director for the Governor's Natural Resource Office.

Morrow County Judge Terry Tallman added his own praise for the emergency crews working with the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program.

"I can look every citizen in Morrow and Umatilla County in the eyes and say, 'We've done our level best to protect you,' " Tallman said.

Kitzhaber's approval is needed for the Army to start burning the 3,717 tons of deadly chemical agents stored at the depot. The Army plans to begin test burns May 25 and to start destroying weapons in February.

Umatilla County Commissioner Dennis Doherty supported the decision to burn, but he noted that while the community has reached a level of "adequate protection -- it is not maximum protection."

"We recognize the distinction between the two," Doherty said.

But Karyn Jones of GASP, an anti-incineration group, urged the panel to not proceed with the recommendation. "There's new risk studies that this panel has not even considered," she said.

Tom Johnson, administrator for Oregon Public Health Systems, said there is nothing in the new toxicity studies that would "suggest our plans are inappropriate in any way." However, in an earlier meeting with emergency managers, Johnson said plans will have to be changed based upon the new risk model.

The Army is adopting a new risk model used by the Environmental Protection Agency that is referred to as AEGL, acute exposure guideline levels.

The revised levels consider two things the old levels didn't -- that VX agent is more lethal than first thought and that the general population is comprised of more than just 18-year-old healthy adult males. Babies, the elderly and those with pre-existing medical problems have an increased risk.

Noting that the new risk model is much more realistic, Johnson said, "VX is one of our greatest concerns."

Since VX has the consistency of baby oil, it was assumed that it would not travel as far off the depot site as would sarin agent.

However, Casey Beard, Morrow County's emergency manager, said exercises using the Army's new risk projections consistently show VX agent traveling into surrounding communities.

"It's now our worst-case scenario," Beard said.

What the new risk model means is if there's an accident at the depot, more people are likely to experience more severe medical problems, Beard said.

And, he said, migrant workers and farmers who work with fertilizers and chemicals every day may be at an even greater risk.

"They might fall into the category of being hypersensitive to chemical agent," Beard said.

The new model assigns numbers to identify risk. Individual risks would vary with the type of chemical and factors such as the health, weight and age of the person exposed.

At the core of the plume, or level AEGL 3, a person who is not wearing protective gear, doesn't have antidote and is exposed will experience life-threatening symptoms or death.

That same person in the AEGL 2 zone will experience irreversible, long-lasting health problems. In the AEGL 1 zone, the person may experience only minor health problems such as coughing or a runny nose.

The clear message is that the public needs to be urged to seek shelter as quickly as possible, said Denzel Fisher, Army spokesman.

"It's not the caliber of bullet you worry about. But if there's a bullet headed your direction, you want to get out of the way," Fisher said.

Armand Minthorn, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, said he hopes the risk assessment will lead to development of an evacuation plan.

Beverlee Venell, director of Oregon Emergency Management, said a plan is to be ready by September.

However, Beard said it will take an additional two years to get funding and the necessary tools before emergency crews would be prepared to evacuate people from Hermiston or surrounding areas.

 

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