Workers at the U.S. Army's Umatilla Chemical Depot have found a mustard agent leak in one of storage igloos at the Oregon installation, the Kennewick, Wash. Tri-City Herald reported yesterday (see GSN, June 23).
Site officials said it is common for the dangerous blister agent, which freezes at 59 degree Fahrenheit, to thaw as the weather warms. No vapor escaped the filtered storage structure and the incident posed no threat to the public, they said.
Depot personnel are set to locate the leaking storage tanks and make any needed repairs, the newspaper reported.
The depot is incinerating its mustard stockpile, stored in 2,635 bulk containers, over a one- to two-year period. However, several groups have sought to stop the burning because they believe it poses an threat to the environment (Tri-City Herald, June 23).