Overview of the concerns over chemical weapons incineration at the Army Depot in Umatilla, Oregon

The concerns over incineration are amplified by the results of test burning of chemical weapons that the Army is currently conducting at their Umatilla depot site.

On October 2, 2002 the Army shut down the incineration when mini-burns exceeded allowable emissions for lead and chromium. Other test burns in August 2002 were stopped after emissions for lead, arsenic, antimony, chromium and nickel exceeded regulatory standards.

The failure of the incinerator to perform as required by law is a strong illustration of the inadequacy of incineration as a disposal method for warfare agents. It is an outdated and unreliable technology that can result in human health and environmental tragedy.

As Donald Sampson, Board of Trustees of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, stated:

"Incinerators are not a fail-safe operation. They can, and do, fail. And their failure can have catastrophic impacts. A mere speck of the nerve agent VX will kill you if it touches your skin. Even smaller quantities of the gas GB will kill instantly. Yet the Army acts as if they pose no practical risk."