The Umatilla Chemical Depot began destroying liquid nerve agent over the weekend, officials said Monday. Nearly 560 gallons of the nerve gas known as GB agent were incinerated over 11 hours on Sunday, said Don Barclay, project manager. The depot began destroying rockets carrying the nerve gas last month, but the liquid nerve agent was stored until plant operators had a minimum of 500 gallons. "The beginning of agent feed to the liquid incinerator is a major milestone," said Doug Hamrick, general manager of the disposal facility. "It represents the final destruction step of the agent from the rockets previously destroyed in the deactivation furnace." The depot has about 12 percent of the nerve and mustard gas weapons in the United States' stockpile and is under treaty obligation to destroy them. The process is expected to take about six years.
Good riddance and about time. GB is non-persistant nerve agent and terribly dangerous compared to binary chemical weapons. |