Umatilla Chemical Depot commander to be replaced

This story was published Wed, Aug 25, 2004

By Jeannine Koranda
Herald Oregon bureau

HERMISTON -- Umatilla Chemical Depot commander Lt. Col. David "Doc" Holliday said Tuesday that he will be replaced by Lt. Col. Donna Rutten, who has previous experience working at the chemical stockpile in Aberdeen, Md.

Rutten now is at Fort Lewis near Tacoma and will assume command next July, said depot spokeswoman Mary Binder. She will be the second female commander at the depot, Binder said.

The Aberdeen operation began destroying its stockpile last year by using a water neutralization technique. Destruction of munitions and chemicals stored at the depot has been put on hold, and no startup has been set.

Holliday, whose two-year stint as commander is nearly up, spoke to about 30 people at the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce lunch Tuesday at the Hermiston Convention Center.

The depot, 35 miles south of the Tri-Cities, stores 220,604 munitions and containers filled with 7.4 million pounds of deadly nerve and mustard agents.

Initially, the depot was expected to destroy the first M55 rocket containing GB nerve agent last week. Those plans were put on hold when surrogate chemicals used to test the plant's second liquid incinerator were detected getting through the banks of carbon filters used in the ventilation system.

Why the chemicals were detected is under investigation.

"We're going to get there, but we're going to take it slow and get there safe," Holliday said.

 

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