UMCD no longer a Chemical Weapons Convention storage site

The results of a Dec. 5 – 6 inspection by the Organization For The Prohibition Of Chemical Weapons and completion of all Treaty verification activities confirmed that no chemical weapons remain in storage at the Umatilla Chemical Depot and that the stockpile has been destroyed.

This inspection and preliminary findings report closes the facility as a Chemical Weapons Convention storage and demilitarization site well in advance of the April, 2012 International Treaty deadline.

Lieutenant Colonel Kris N. Perkins, U.S. Army Commander of the installation said, “This is another significant milestone achieved assuring the safety of future generations. This achievement is a direct result of dedication to the safe completion of this project by Team Umatilla Government and Contract employees and UMCD’s community partners”.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update week ending November 18, 2011.

Team Umatilla honors its currently serving vets

Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) Project General Manager Steve Warren presents a plaque to Matt Fetters in appreciation of his service to our country at a ceremony honoring Team Umatilla veterans Thursday, Nov. 10.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update for week ending November 4, 2011.

Closure activities in full swing at plant

A crane removes a section of the Brine Reduction Area (BRA) pollution abatement system (PAS) exhaust stack after it was cut with a torch by a sub-contractor.

The Container Handling Building (CHB) stands empty after more than seven years of storing Enhanced Onsite Containers (EONCs) with either test or real chemical agent munitions.

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UMCDF skyline changes as brine stack comes down

 The first obvious physical change to the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) since the completion of agent processing last week occurred this morning when the Brine Reduction Area (BRA) pollution abatement system (PAS) stack was removed.

“Today, the UMCDF plant skyline changed for the first time since construction was completed in 2001,” said Gary Anderson, UMCDF Site Project Manager. “Closure activities have now begun in earnest.”

Subcontractor Brandenburg Industrial made torch cuts on the 65-foot-high exhaust stack and then used a crane to lift the two sections to the ground. The entire BRA-PAS building is being removed as closure work at the plant gears up. The BRA-PAS demolition work is expected to be completed by next month.

About half of the plant structures will be demolished over the next two to three years to comply with the UMCDF’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permit from the state. All areas used to process chemical agent or the exhaust from the furnaces will be torn down.

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The Oregonian: Editorial, Burning up the last lethal gas

In just seven years, the U.S. Army and its contractors have burned through one of the nation's largest stockpiles of lethal wartime chemicals, stored in bunkers off Interstate 84 near Hermiston. It was at times a nail-biting exercise, as no one could really guarantee an explosion at the 31-square-mile site wouldn't kill or harm people in nearby Hermiston, Irrigon, Umatilla or Boardman. But it's done, the last one-ton canister of blister agent at the Umatilla Chemical Depot incinerated to nothing this week.

There are few causes for outright celebration in the world of toxic weapons destruction, but this is one. Since the international Chemical Weapons Conference pact of 1996 stipulated the United States eliminate its stores of nerve and mustard gas agents by 2012, regulators from towns, cities, counties, Oregon, the U.S. Army and the federal government struggled and even fought to ensure safety as a scary, little-known technology became the local industry.

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Additional Story

The East Oregonian: Umatilla workers can take great pride in a job safely done

The risk of leaks or explosions from other kinds of weapons that were stored at the site is now past.

Work can begin on converting the Umatilla Depot to other uses. We also must face the challenge of replacing the military and civilian jobs with an annual payroll in the millions.

It will take another three-plus years to take down the plant used to process the chemical, so the jobs will not go away all at once.

Other former military bases have found new lives that generated even more employment than their pasts. We can hope the same is true in our county when we look back a decade or so from now.

Meanwhile, we congratulate the depot workers for their truly great job in keeping us safe while they destroyed these chemical weapons. They took good care of their neighbors.

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Community support was vital for success of chemical disposal

We would like to thank everyone for their support to UMCDF. Great projects like this require solid leadership. We believe that UMCDF has enjoyed dedicated and professional leadership from elected officials and citizens of the community. To mark the end of operations, the Army will be hosting a ceremony March 15, 2012, at the Hermiston Convention Center. Please mark this date on your calendar; more information will follow.

The Army could not have asked for better community support throughout the years. You should take great pride in your role because the success of this program has been the result of each individual’s contribution.

By GARY M. ANDERSON and STEVE WARREN
Anderson is site project manager at the UMCDF and Warren is project general manager for URS Corp

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Sumary of closeout activity

The Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) has been a unique multi-jurisdictional partnership with a common goal: to prepare and enable communities to protect their residents in the unlikely event of a chemical emergency at one of the nation’s chemical stockpile sites The Umatilla Chemical Depot was one of eight Army installations where our nation’s stockpile of chemical munitions was located. The Depot began destroying its chemical munitions in 2004, and will complete its final campaign by the end of 2011.

The Umatilla area is safer today as a result of CSEPP’s public safety program. Dedicated personnel from many agencies made up the local CSEPP team. These include emergency management agencies in Washington and Oregon states; Umatilla, Morrow and Benton counties; the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Department of the Army; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR); and the American Red Cross. CSEPP has provided emergency plans, procedures, and equipment to help prevent or minimize the damage caused by a chemical emergency or natural disaster. CSEPP has also provided public information to promote general emergency preparedness in the communities around the Umatilla Chemical Depot.

Thanks to CSEPP, we will leave our Communities Strengthened, Equipped, Protected and Prepared.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update week ending October 28, 2011

HD ton container, chemical munitions destruction operations complete

The last HD mustard ton container (TC) in the Umatilla Chemical Depot stockpile, as well as the U.S. Army inventory, was released from the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility’s (UMCDF’s) Metal Parts Furnace (MPF) Discharge Airlock (DAL) at 9:19 Tuesday morning (photo above).The moment marked the end of chemical munitions destruction operations at the facility. Plant personnel currently are flushing agent and rinsate (a byproduct of ton container processing) lines. Once that is completed in the next few weeks, the UMCDF will officially meet its treaty requirements.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility destroys last ton container of mustard blister agent

Nearly 50 years of chemical agent storage came to an end today with the destruction of the last ton container of mustard blister agent in the Metal Parts Furnace at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility.

“Today, the employees of the UMCDF made their mark on history by completing agent destruction operations,” said Gary Anderson, UMCDF Site Project Manager. “More than 1,000 dedicated Army and contractor employees have made Oregon safer for its citizens. Additionally, their efforts successfully achieved the Chemical Weapons Convention Mandate to destroy the Depot’s chemical weapons by April 2012. Congratulations on jobs well done.”

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Final chemical container being processed

The final chemical container of the final campaign at Umatilla is being processed.

The disposal is expected to be complete before the end of October.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - October 6, 2011

UMCDF prepares for flu season

The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility’s (UMCDF’s) medical department administered flu vaccinations last week to more than 200 of its employees. The vaccinations are provided annually, free of charge, to workers at the plant. The vaccinations are an effort to keep as many employeesas possible from contracting the flu during the winter months. Limiting Conditions of Operations specify that a minimum number of “essential” employees — control room operators, plant operators and maintenance personnel — are required to conduct operations. If too many of thoseemployees are out sick at the same time, the plant mustuspend operations until replacements are brought in.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - September 30, 2011

First visible demolition at disposal facility to begin on October 3

The first visible exterior demolition of equipment at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) is scheduled to begin on Monday, Oct. 3. Demolition of the Brine Reduction Area Pollution Abatemet System will begin with preliminary barricading and sub-contractor staging around the area. The demolition work, to be conducted by Brandenburg Industrial Service of Chicago with support from the UMCDF maintenance department, is expected to last through October.

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Umatilla Chemical Depot Weekly Update, Sept. 22

A new safety record: 9 million safe work hours reached!

In the early morning hours of Monday, Sept. 19, the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) surpassed 9 million work hours without a lost work-day accident.

“While this milestone represents a record for the project, the most important element is that it means we are working safely and meeting our goal of sending people home in the same condition they were in when they came to work,” said Project General Manager Steve Warren. “We must carry that attention to safety through the end of operations and into closure.”

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UMCDF surpasses 9 million safe hours

The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) has surpassed 9 million hours without a lost workday accident. As of Sept. 19, it has been 1,900 days, or more than five years, since a UMCDF employee missed work because of an accident.

This is the first time UMCDF has reached 9 million safe hours, which is the equivalent of 100 employees working more than 43 years without missing a day of work due to an accident. UMCDF has about 830 workers. The Safety Department verified the milestone Tuesday and determined it was reached Monday morning.

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Oregon Department of Environmental Quality renewed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Hazardous Waste Permit for the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility,

On Sept. 20, The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality renewed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Hazardous Waste Permit for the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, Hermiston, Ore.

The renewal of the permit followed several months of review and negotiation between the UMCDF and the ODEQ to ensure the renewal would not adversely impact completion of the chemical demilitarization mission. The initial RCRA permit was issued in February 1997 for a 10-year term.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - September 15, 2011

The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) reached the 90 percent mustard disposal point Wednesday in its last campaign when the incineration facility destroyed the 2,371th ton container.

Officials are projecting completion of this final campaign in November of this year, a little more than seven years after the first chemical munition was destroyed on Sept. 8, 2004.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - September 8, 2011

Happy anniversary, Team Umatilla!

Today marks the seventh anniversary of the first chemical agent munition destruction at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF).
 
On Sept. 7, 2004, the first shipment of GB-filled M55 rockets from depot storage to the disposal facility marked the official start of agent destruction operations. The next day, Sept. 8, the first rocket was drained of agent, chopped into pieces and thermally decontaminated in the Deactivation Furnace System (DFS).

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - September 1, 2011

Performance assessment deems UMCDF as ‘safe and compliant’

A Performance and Assessment Review (PAR), conducted last month by a joint government and systems contractor review team, reported that the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) “demonstrated safe, compliant operations.”

The team noted that “UMCDF is a very well maintained facility, with a knowledgeable and willing workforce.” It also called the management team “engaged” and credited it with “looking beyond the Operations milestone to plan for the successful completion of the project.”

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A quarterly emergency preparedness drill is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 30.

The depot’s sirens will be sounded, but not the community sirens. This is a coordinated exercise between the depot, the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, and off-post communities.

Although this is only an exercise, such events are excellent opportunities for individuals – whether at home or work – to stop and ask themselves if they, their families, loved ones or co-workers know what to do if an actual emergency or security incident were to occur. Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness officials recommend residents develop emergency plans for their homes and businesses.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - August 25, 2011

Disposal facility gets OK to run Liquid Incinerators at 100% feed rates

The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) has received approval from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to increase the Liquid Incinerator processing rate from 75 percent to 100 percent of the feed rate demonstrated during the mustard agent trial burn and comprehensive performance test.

This approval follows a prior regulatory acceptance of the agent trial burn report of July 5, 2011, confirming the testing and results were in compliance with the applicable standards and permit conditions. UMCDF is now authorized to commence hazardous waste feed based on the rates demonstrated during the agent trial burn for agent and spent decontamination solution.

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Umatilla Chemical Depot Weekly Update Aug. 18, 2011

 Rinsate emissions tests being conducted at plant 

Rinsate Emissions Demonstration Test (EDT) is being conducted at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) to quantify what is coming out of the stack from Liquid Incinerator (LIC) 2. 

Rinsate processing began on April 21, 2011, and personnel on each crew have been training as feed has been ramped up to 950 lbs. per hour. Sustained operation has been demonstrated by feeding for eight hours at a time with no waste feed cutoff. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Rinsate Permit Modification Request (PMR) allowed up to 350 hours to “shakedown” the new system prior to performing an EDT at full feed rate. The UMCDF utilized 220 hours of the shakedown time and commenced Run 1 of the rinsate test on Aug. 10.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - 11 Aug '11

Overfilled TC Campaign Complete

The splash shield and skirt designed and fabricated by UMCDF to reduce agent contamination in the Bulk Drain Station (BDS) during overfilled ton container (TC) processing worked like a charm. The final, and heaviest, overfilled TC was punched and drained on Wednesday without incident, concluding a very successful two-week Overfilled TC Campaign. Steve Warren, UMCDF’s project general manager, said the creation of the splash shield was a great example of the project’s ability to evaluate a problem or challenge, determine a safe and compliant course of action, and then implement it successfully.
 
Operations Manager Kim Jackson said multiple departments cooperated to help ensure the success of the campaign, including Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Safety, QA/QC, Environmental and the Field Office.

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Rinsate system speeds up mustard campaign

Thanks to an innovative process not used anywhere else in the demilitarization world, the Umatilla Chemical AgentDisposal Facility (UMCDF) is expected to finish destroying the last of the mustard blisteragent stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot well ahead of the April 2012 internationaltreaty deadline.

UMCDF uses two furnaces to destroy mustard agent, a Liquid Incinerator (LIC) and a Metal Parts Furnace (MPF). The Rinsate Collection System (RCS), which went into operation last April, has allowed the LIC to do more of the work, trimming weeks off the facility’s production schedule in the process. That will potentially save the Army, and taxpayers, millions of dollars.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - August 4, 2011

Overfilled Ton Container campaign under way

Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility plans to process nine “overfilled” ton containers (TCs) over the next few days, taking special precautions to avoid spilling agent in the Bulk Drain Station room.

Overfilled TCs were filled to the brim, making it hard to avoid spilling agent when the container is punched. The first time an overfilled TC was punched about a year ago,  agent splashed across the room, forcing extensive deconning and clean up.

That should be avoided when the remaining overfilled TCs are processed, thanks to a splash shield fabricated by UMCDF personnel.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - July 28, 2011

Major pre-closure work gets under way

A contractor began staging materials this week at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility  for the removal of refractory brick from the Deactivation Furnace System afterburner and cyclone..

The work is one of the first significant pre-closure activities to start at the facility, along with removal of some major components from the Brine Reduction Area last year. The brick removal is scheduled to last about six weeks.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - July 21, 2011

The last shipment of sulfur-impregnated carbon (SIC) used in the Pollution Abatement System (PAS) Filter System left a permitted storage area on the depot Wednesday bound for a treatment and disposal facility in Utah. The SIC has been in permitted storage since the first change-out after starting the mustard campaign in 2009.

SIC was designed to capture mercury when processing suspected high-mercury ton containers early in
the campaign.

Wednesday’s shipment was the 12th since shipping began on June 8. About 273,000 pounds, or some 560 containers, have been shipped.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - July 14, 2011 2011

Depot firefighters represent Team Umatilla

Rich Jendro and Steve Petersen of the Umatilla Chemical Depot Fire Department traveled to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Sunday, July 9, to represent Umatilla Chemical Depot in the Firefighter Combat Challenge.
 
The Challenge annually attracts hundreds of U.S. and Canadian municipal fire departments at more than 25 locations around the country. It seeks to encourage firefighter fitness and demonstrate the profession’s rigors to the public. Wearing “full bunker gear” and breathing apparatus, pairs of competitors race head-to-head as they simulate the physical demands of firefighting by performing a linked series of five tasks including climbing the five-story tower, hoisting, chopping, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized, 175-pound “victim” as they race against themselves, their opponent and the clock.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - July 7, 2011

Mustard destruction reaches 75 percent

The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) destroyed its 1,976th mustard agent filled ton container (TC) Tuesday, leaving 659 TCs remaining in inventory. This represents destruction of 75 percent of the HD mustard ton containers in the Umatilla Chemical Depot chemical stockpile.

“Seventy-five percent of our inventory has been destroyed while accruing more than 8 million man hours without a lost-time accident,” Gary Anderson, UMCDF Site Project Manager, said. “Our workers demonstrate around the clock their professionalism, attention to detail and ability to deliver as we transition toward the closure of the chemical mission here at Umatilla.”

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Umatilla Chemical Depot destroys 75% of Mustard Ton Containers

Tuesday, 5 July, the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility destroyed its 1,976th mustard agent filled ton container, leaving 659 TCs remaining in inventory. This represents destruction of 75 percent of the HD mustard ton containers in the Umatilla Chemical Depot chemical stockpile.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - June 30, 2011

Congressional staffers visit UMCDF

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Elimination of Chemical Weapons Carmen Spencer, Megan Milam-Rosenbusch of the House Appropriations Committee - Defense Staff and U.S. Army Congressional Liaison Lt. Col. Kelly Laurel, observed Control Room activities during a tour of the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility Tuesday.  Operations Manager Kim Jackson explained the chemical demilitarization process.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - June 16, 2011.

 Furnace issues curtail processing

Early Saturday morning, issues arose with the Metal Parts Furnace (MPF) when a ton container (TC) became stuck between the MPF charge airlock and Zone 1. This required numerous entries to complete repairs to the MPF and move the TC safely back into Zone 1.

Alpha Crew performed the first entry early Saturday morning, and then Delta crew did “yeoman’s work” performing multiple entries throughout their shift, said Operations Manager Kim Jackson. The mechanics and operators who performed the entries did an exceptional job, she added. Jackson also credited the HAZMATteam (pictured above) and Demilitarization Protection Ensemble (DPE) Support Area (DSA) for performing backup duties and coordinating entries, and a “super job” by the Control Room in managing the MPF entries.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - June 9, 2011.

Although the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) won’t receive official word on its Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) recertification for a few weeks, the recent visit by a two-man inspection team left the impression that the project will certainly retain its “Star” status.

UMCDF first earned VPP certification in late 2006. VPP is an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) program that sets performance- based criteria for a managed safety and health system, and then assesses applicants against those criteria. Star status is the highest safety designationprovided by the federal government.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - June 2, 2011.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is requesting comments on the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility’s (UMCDF’s) draft Hazardous Waste Permit renewal application. A public hearing also has been scheduled to receive comments on the application.

The UMCDF submitted an application for renewal of its hazardous waste permit July 28, 2006. The DEQ has used subsequent additional information and permit modifications submitted since that date to update the application. The DEQ has drafted a renewal permit based on the UMCDF application record, and is requesting public comment on the draft renewal permit.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - May 26, 2011.

Jeff Wallace, a retired circuit court judge and former district attorney, was named the new team leader for the Umatilla Outreach Office last week. Wallace replaces Steve Meyers, who left the post in March.

Wallace previously served as public affairs specialist for the Oregon National Guard before entering the law field in the late 1970s. He also was the Morrow County district attorney for six years and circuit court judge in Hermiston from 1993 until his retirement this January.

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Umatilla Depot Weekly Update 19 May 2011

Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) Site Project Manager Gary Anderson and URS Operations Manager Kim Jackson will share the challenges, experiences and victories of the UMCDF project with delegates of the 14th Annual International Chemical Weapons Demilitarization (CWD) conference in Interlaken, Switzerland, next week.

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Umatilla Chemical depot achieves one million hours without lost time injury

Government workers at the Umatilla Chemical Depot reached a safety milestone on May 21, achieving one million consecutive man-hours without a lost workday injury. This is equivalent to 521 consecutive days for the workforce of 282 employees.

“This is a testament to the dedication of the workforce and our safety culture at UMCD,” said Lt. Col. Kris N. Perkins, UMCD commander. “We are only the second Chemical Material Agency depot to achieve one million hours. I am extremely proud of the workforce in achieving such an important safety milestone.”

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - 12 May 2011

Fourteen members of the Waste Treatment Plant Project Organization at Hanford, Wash., toured the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility Tuesday and received an engineering overview briefing.

The Umatilla Chemical Depot last week submitted a Class 2 Permit Modification Request proposing revisions to the depot’s Hazardous WasteStorage Permit. In general, the Permit Modification Request included changes to the Permit, which are affected by the incorporation of the UMCD Resource Conservation Recovery Act  Closure Plan.
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Umatilla Depot Weekly Update, May 5, Two Milestones Passed

The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility passed two processing milestones this week.

During processing this past week, the plant surpassed the 75 percent mark for total tons of agent destroyed. This number includes the complete destruction of the original stockpiles of the nerve agents GB and VX stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. About 62 percent of the original HD mustard blister agent stockpile has been destroyed.

Also, the plant processed the 1,635th HD ton container through the Metal Parts Furnace. This means that fewer than 1,000 ton containers remain to be destroyed. The final ton container is expected to be processed in late November of this year.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Depot processing final 1,000 ton containers

On May 5, 2011 the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility destroyed its 1,635th mustard agent filled ton container, leaving 1,000 TCs remaining in inventory. This represents destruction of 62 percent of the HD mustard ton containers and 99.5 percent of the chemical stockpile. UMCDF is in its 13th and final agent destruction campaign which began in June 2009.

“The UMCDF workforce is to be commended for their steadfast efforts,” said Gary Anderson, UMCDF Site Project Manager. “Their dedication will enable the Chemical Materials Agency, Department of Army and the United States to meet its international Chemical Weapons Convention treaty obligations. Our project schedule estimates completion of the mustard campaign in November of this year.”

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Weekly Update, Umatilla Depot, April 21, 2011

UMCDF employees take the ‘challenge’

For the past couple of weeks, employees at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) have been participating in the annual Employee-Led Team (ELT) Challenge.

The event is held two days a week over a four week period. It will end on Wednesday, May 11. The Challenge was created a few years ago by the site’s employee-led environmental team. It has since expanded to include all three ELTs on site — the environmental, safety and toxic area teams.

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Umatilla Chemical Depot Weekly Update 21 April, 2011

Saturday, April 16, the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) began use of the Rinsate Collection System (RCS), an improved process that allows for more efficient use of facility incinerators for the destruction of the Umatilla stockpile of HD mustard agent.

“We are one step closer to fulfilling our Chemical Weapons Convention Treaty obligations well ahead of the April 2012 deadline,” said Gary Anderson, site project manager for the UMCDF. “The successful implementation of this unique system is the result of outstanding efforts on the part of our design, installation and operations teams.”

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility begins using Rinsate Collection System

Saturday, April. 16, the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility began use of the Rinsate Collection System, an improved process that allows for more efficient use of facility incinerators for the destruction of the Umatilla stockpile of HD mustard agent.

“We are one step closer to fulfilling our Chemical Weapons Convention Treaty obligations well ahead of the April 2012 deadline,” said Gary Anderson, site project manager for the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. “The successful implementation of this unique system is the result of outstanding efforts on the part of our design, installation and operations teams.”

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Weekly Update Umatilla Chemical Depot, 14 April 2011

Umatilla Chemical Depot employees made history Tuesday when they participated in the Annual Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program Exercise. Because of progress on the disposal of HD mustard ton containers at the Umatilla Chemical Disposal Facility , this is likely to be the last annual exercise held at the depot.

This is after 20 years of planning and participating in the annual exercise. These exercises were held annually to prepare the depot and surrounding communities in case of a chemical incident.

“Once again Team Umatilla demonstrated their ability to safely and aggressively respond to a chemical event,” said Lt. Col. Kris Perkins, depot commander. “This is a testament to their training and their dedication to ensuring the work force, the community and the environment are protected. I am very proud of what they accomplished today and we will continue to focus on safety until our mission at UMCD is complete.”

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - 7 April 2011

The annual Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) exercise will be held April 12. This exercise allows local, state and federal emergency agencies to practice their response to a simulated event at the Umatilla Chemical Depot and to have that response effort federally evaluated.

After 20 years of emergency preparedness exercises associated with CSEPP, this year’s exercise is expected to be the last one because of projected completion of HD mustard chemical agent disposal at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility by the end of this year.

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Annual emergency preparedness exercise April 12

The annual Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness  Program (CSEPP) exercise will be held Tuesday, April 12. This exercise allows  local, state and federal emergency agencies to practice their response to a  simulated event at the Umatilla Chemical Depot and to have that response effort  federally evaluated.

After 20 years of emergency preparedness exercises associated with CSEPP,  this year’s exercise is expected to be the last CSEPP exercise because of  projected completion of the disposal of HD mustard chemical agent at the  Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility near Hermiston by the end of this  year.

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Chemical Disposal Facility weekly status report 24 March 2011, Depot honors victims of 1944 igloo explosion.

Several relatives of the victims of the 1944 igloo explosion that killed six depot workers attended a memorial service Monday at the Umatilla Chemical Depot.

The March 24 ceremony coincided with the exact anniversary of the event in 1944. Depot Commander Lt. Col. Kris Perkins honored the “service and sacrifice” of those who died when 264 500-pound bombs in igloo B1014 exploded at 9:29 p.m. He also highlighted their “families’ sacrifice.”

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Monthly CSEPP Siren and Tone Alert Radio Test Tues, March 29

The monthly test of tone alert radios and warning sirens in southern Benton County will take place Tuesday, March 29, at noon. The test is conducted by Benton County Emergency Management and is part of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) for the Umatilla Chemical Depot located near Hermiston, Oregon http://ow.ly/4oEy3

Umatilla Chemical Depot Receives Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Award

The U.S. Army’s Umatilla Chemical Depot in Oregon received the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2010 Military Conservation Partner Award recognizing an extraordinary conservation partnership that, among other highlights, has provided numerous conservation benefits for the burrowing owl and long-billed curlew.

Rowan Gould, the Service's Acting Director, made the announcement at the 76th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, citing the Depot’s exemplary partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state agencies, tribal governments, and non-government organizations.

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Guest speakers at 1944 Memorial Ceremony March 21

Umatilla Chemical Depot, Hermiston, Ore. – Don Barclay, Deputy Director of the Army’s Chemical Materials Agency, Aberdeen, Md., and Maj. Gen. Raymond Rees, Oregon State Adjutant General, will be the guest speakers at a memorial ceremony, Monday, March 21, to honor those who died in a 1944 igloo explosion.

CMA oversees six chemical weapons depots across the nation. Gen. Rees commands the Oregon Army National Guard. This will be the 67th anniversary of the event and the first time

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Final touches being made on rinsate system

Installation of the Rinsate Collection System (RCS) is complete. All the piping, mechanical equipment and electrical lines have been installed, and just a few minor touch-ups remain to be completed. System testing has begun and will continue for the next couple weeks. The system was designed to collect rinsate, or water, used to break up sludge, known as “heel,” from ton containers during the agent removal process. Prior to this system’s creation, rinsatewas pumped into an empty “recipient” ton containerand then processed through the Metal Parts Furnace (MPF).Once the RCS is operational, rinsate will be transferred directly to the tanks shown above and then processed in one of the two Liquid Incinerators (LICs). Following Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) approval, the system is expected to go into operation in April.

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Depot Ceremony to honor those who died in 1944 explosion

Umatilla Chemical Depot will honor the six workers who died in a 1944 igloo explosion on Monday, March 21, the 67th anniversary of the event.

The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in Bldg. 54 and end at the site of the explosion. Family members of those who died and the public are invited.

The 1944 accident was the only fatal munitions handling accident in the depot’s 70- year history. The depot received its first conventional munitions in October, 1941 on the eve of World War II, and stored conventional ammunition throughout World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and the Gulf War. The depot began its current mission of chemical weapons storage in the early 1960s and continues that tradition today.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility starts maintenance window Feb 17

The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility will pause processing of HD mustard ton containers and prepare for maintenance to its Metal Parts Furnace, starting today. This annual maintenance was scheduled for May and moved forward due to needed maintenance on the inner furnace door. The maintenance is expected to last 14 days.

During this maintenance a cooling coil for an inner furnace door will be replaced and piping will be run for the Rinsate collection system, which is expected to be operational in April.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - February 17, 2011

Operations at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) were interrupted at about 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, when CONR-110 faulted, causing loss of Heating, Ventilating and Cooling (HVC). Operations were suspended and all employees donned protective masks.
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Malfunctioning Air Conditioning Unit Closes Umatilla Chemical Depot 2/12/11

A malfunctioning air conditioning unit Saturday, Feb. 12, resulted in the closure of the Umatilla Chemical Depot.
Umatilla County Emergency Manager Jim Stearns, who was out of the area, said he was reached by cell phone by emergency dispatchers and was told operations were shutting down due to the system glitch.

 

A depot spokesman said the incident is merely a maintenance issue and poses no danger for personnel or people in the area.

The East Oregonian

Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - February 10, 2011

The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility processed 15 TCs over the weekend, pushing the project over the midway point of the mustard ton container campaign.

It is the 13th and final individual munitions disposal campaign for the plant. Through Sunday, the Metal Parts Furnace had processed 1,325 donor TCs. The halfway mark was 1,318 TCs.

The HD mustard disposal campaign started in June 2009. It is projected to finish late this year, a little more than seven years after the first munition was destroyed in the fall of 2004.

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Umatilla Chemical Depot reaches the halfway point in its last disposal campaign

The Umatilla Chemical Depot reached the halfway point in its last disposal campaign on Feb. 5, 2011, when the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility destroyed the 1,318th ton container from the depot stockpile.

The HD mustard disposal campaign started in June 2009. Officials are projecting completion of this final campaign late this year, a little more than seven years after the first munition was destroyed in the fall of 2004.


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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - February 3, 2011

The last mustard-filled ton container containing mercury was discharged from the Metal Parts Furnace (MPF) Sunday at about 7 a.m.

“Congratulations Team UMCDF for completing a significant milestone,” said Operations Manager Kim Jackson. “Outstanding job by the Operations crews in recent days for coordinating all the venting, punching and MPF operations through a very busy week.”

Completing the mercury TCs was a critical accomplishment in preparation for using the Rinsate Collection
System.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - January 27, 2011

Congratulations to James Tanner, a Demilitarization Protective Ensemble (DPE) tender at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) for receiving a prestigious award recently. Tanner was named the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce’s Firefighter of the Year at the Distinguished Citizens Awards banquet Thursday, Jan. 20.

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CSEPP Siren Test Scheduled For Tuesday, January 25th

A test of the Oregon Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) siren system is scheduled for noon on Tuesday, January 25th . The test coincides with tests of CSEPP sirens on the Umatilla Chemical Depot and in Benton County, Washington.

The 76 sirens will begin the test with a verbal message in English and Spanish reminding people that it is only a test. The message will be followed by sounding of the Westminster chimes. In a chemical emergency, the sirens would blare a distinctly different alert tone for three-minutes followed by instructions in English and Spanish.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility weekly project update - January 20, 2011.

Mickey D. McGuire has been appointed laboratory manager of Southwest Research Institute’s Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. He was previously laboratory manager of SwRI’s Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Facility  


Southwest Research Institute, headquartered in San Antonio, has provided chemical agent and laboratory support in the past for chemical agent disposal facilities on Johnston Atoll in the Pacific and in Newport, Ind., and currently at the Umatilla Chemical Depot and the U.S. Army Pine Bluff Arsenal in Pine Bluff, Ark.


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Umatilla Chem. Agent Disposal Facility project update - 13 Jan '11 - UMCD implements 100% processing rate

The Umatilla Chemical Disposal Facility (UMCDF) implemented a 100 percent processing rate of mustard ton containers (TCs) through the Metal Parts Furnace (MPF) on Monday, following final authorization earlier in the day from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Mustard TC processing is the 13th and final munitions campaign at UMCDF, and Monday marked the first time UMCDF has reached a 100 percent processing rate.

Mustard TC processing is the 13th and final munitions campaign at UMCDF, and Monday marked the first time UMCDF has reached a 100 percent processing rate. The project received permission late last week to increase from 75 to 100 percent processing.

Engineering installed 100 percent jumpers over the weekend, and Environmental provided a final letter of preparedness to DEQ Monday that all implementation items had been completed. DEQ concurred that all therequirements had been met for compliant 100 percent HD feed to the MPF.

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Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility now operating at full capability - 1/10/11

The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility received approval from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to increase the destruction of chemical mustard agent from a 75 percent processing rate to 100 percent, effective today.

 

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