Umatilla depot test burns approved

This story was published Fri, Jul 12, 2002

By Karen Zacharias
Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON -- Burn it!

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has given Army officials the required authorization to begin test burns of trial materials at the Umatilla Chemical Depot.

Wayne Thomas, project manager for the state, gave his final approval Thursday after what he called "a rigorous review."

"This is a significant milestone for the communities around the Depot, DEQ and the U.S. Army," Thomas said.

He noted the preparation process was arduous for all involved. "Our decision is the culmination of five years of hard work by my staff. But we are confident that if the Army continues to meet the standards the state of Oregon has required, the elimination of the chemical agents at the Depot will be performed safely," Thomas said.

But Army officials think it may be another week before the actual test burns begin. Routine
maintenance required the Army to shut down the liquid incinerator. That incinerator is expected to be started back up today.

But it's not just a matter of flipping a switch. The liquid incinerator reaches temperatures up to 2,700 degrees.

Mary Binder, Army spokeswoman, said the final three shipments of surrogate materials from New York, which were due Thursday, are now expected on site Tuesday. However, she said there are enough materials already at the depot to begin the trial burns.

The Army plans to test the incinerators by burning perchloroethylene, a dry cleaning solvent, and trichlorobenzene, a degreasing agent. Binder said the solvents are more difficult to burn than the stores of GB, Sarin or mustard agent but not as hazardous.

The depot, seven miles west of Hermiston, stores 220,604 munitions and containers filled with 7.4 million pounds of deadly nerve and mustard agents.Thomas said additional requirements must be met by the Army before it can begin burning nerve agent.

"The next milestone is successful completion of the test burns and then forward to agent operations," Thomas said.

Army officials don't expect to burn nerve agent until May.

Officials with the Washington Demilitarization Co., the contractor in charge of destroying the chemical stockpile, did not return Herald phone calls Thursday.

 

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