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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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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