Monitoring chemicals a constant challenge

This story was published Sat, Oct 19, 2002

By Karen Zacharias
Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON -- Detecting chemical weapon releases takes a bit of wizardry, and it's far more complex than just whipping out the latest techno-gizmo.

"You can't get out your Star Wars tri-quarter and measure this stuff. It just ain't that easy," said Wayne Thomas, program manager for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality at the Umatilla Chemical Depot.

But various officials say that if there was a chemical weapons release from the depot 30 miles south of the Tri-Cities, there are systems in place to detect it.

With thousands of munitions stored at the depot containing some of the world's deadliest chemical agents -- VX, sarin and mustard agent -- that monitoring system is vitally important.

The Army had hoped to start destroying the lethal weapons in February. But this week Thomas said the Army won't be able to begin burning the munitions prior to July.

Meanwhile, the Army is keeping its nose close to its stockpile of 3,717 tons of chemical weapons because the aging munitions routinely leak.

Pinpointing those leaks and monitoring the air for possible weapons releases is a round-the-clock job, one that requires a lot of bells and whistles and manpower.

The primary monitoring system at Umatilla involves the use of nine specially equipped trucks designed to identify chemical leaks. There are no air monitors mounted in the igloos.

The gadgets and gizmos in the trucks cost as much as $40,000, and they are very precise, said Dick Marsh, a civilian employee with the Army who works with the monitors.

The detection vehicles are pulled up to the concrete-reinforced igloos where chemicals are stored, and a hose is then connected to sample the air inside. An alarm sounds if any chemical is detected inside.

The deadly chemicals are measured in parts per trillion. That's akin to picking out one grain of sugar from a 5-pound bag.

While Sarin and mustard agent give off a vapor, VX is a heavy liquid, like baby oil, and doesn't vaporize unless heated. VX also is considered the most lethal of all the weapons, with a pinhead-size drop enough to kill a person.

The problem is the Army's equipment won't detect VX unless it's been vaporized. In a recent government newsletter, Delbert Bunch, deputy program manager for the nation's chemical demilitarization program, said the Army doesn't have any better methodology to monitor VX.

It's a problem, agreed Lt. Col. Fred Pellissier, depot commander. "VX is a very toxic agent, but it doesn't vaporize."

Thomas said it's good the Army recognizes it has a problem with detecting VX, but that doesn't mean chemical agents are floating through the air undetected. "The Army maintains a rigorous (detection) program," he said.

Pellissier echoed that.

"I don't want a leak (at the depot). I darn sure don't want any getting off the depot," he said.

To prevent that, the Army does routine checks of the igloos where agent is stored.

"Our detection vehicles are our primary means to determine if there is a leak on the site," explained Jim Hackett, an Army spokesman.

The igloos that have chemical weapons in them are checked by the detection vehicles at least weekly, while the igloos where leaking weapons are stored are checked daily, Hackett said. He explained that when leaking munitions are found, the Army seals the leaks and moves them to several igloos that contain other previously leaking munitions.

It's true VX could puddle in an igloo and the detection vehicles wouldn't necessarily detect it, but that doesn't mean it would be a danger to the public because VX must come in physical contact to kill, Marsh explained.

"It's the kind of agent you find in land mines," he said. "It sticks to plants, buildings, walls. A person could walk through an area with VX but wouldn't get contaminated unless they came into contact with it." VX is also used in other munitions besides land mines.

The danger for the general public is much greater with sarin, which can easily travel through the air.

Marsh added that it is very rare for the Army to detect VX leaks. "I can't remember the last time," he said. "We get a lot more sarin readings."

The depot has two other means of detecting chemical weapons leaks. One system will operate inside the weapons incinerator once it is fired up, and is designed to immediately detect and warn workers in the plant if there is a leak.

The other system is a collection of monitors scattered about the depot that are maintained by Southwest Research Institute, an Army contractor. Those air monitors are not designed to be a way to alert the community to a leak.

Instead, these monitors check the air quality to provide an environmental history of air quality. Readings from these monitors are time-delayed by 12 to 48 hours.

If a monitor produces a positive reading, the Army can move its detection vehicles to double-check, Hackett said.

There has been a recent rash of recent "false positive" readings in which the monitors indicated agent was present when there was none. Officials believe those positive readings were triggered by some other chemical in the air.

Darrel Johnston, laboratory manager for Southwest Research Institute, said there also have been times when the monitors failed to detect an agent during equipment testing.

In either case, Johnston said, they don't sound a community alert if there is a positive reading. Instead, they call the Army for backup.

Nobody is quite sure why the monitors have tested positive when there was no agent present, Pellissier said.

Monitoring the deadly chemicals is a constant challenge for the Army and the state's regulatory agency.

"We are always concerned if the equipment is not working the way we'd like. But I think the Army is doing the best they can with the technology available to them," Thomas said.

 

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