Incineration foes ask court to delay burning

This story was published Fri, Aug 13, 2004

By Jeannine Koranda
Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON - Lawyers for incineration opponents, GASP, filed an injunction Thursday in Multnomah Circuit Court in the hopes of delaying the start of chemical weapons incineration at the Umatilla Chemical Depot.

The depot could start destroying M55 rockets containing GB nerve agent as early as Wednesday if the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission approves the start up today.

The injunction asks a judge to delay the burn until the lawsuit, commonly called GASP I, reaches a verdict, said Karyn Jones, GASP representative.

The lawsuit, which is currently on appeal waiting to be heard, was filed in 1997 and asks that the permits for the incinerator facility at the Umatilla Chemical Depot be revoked.

"So if we won GASP I, the facility would be shut down," Jones said. "We're hoping that would force a technology change."

The group would like to see the chemical weapons stored at the depot destroyed by neutralization technology, which it believes is safer.

There could be a decision on the injunction as early as Monday, she said.

The lawsuit doesn't change the depot's plans. "We're still proceeding," said Mary Binder, depot spokeswoman.

The final meeting to decide if the depot may start incinerating is today at 12:30 p.m. at Good Shepherd Hospital in Hermiston.

 

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