WHITE HALL, Ark. (AP) -- The Army stepped up security at the Pine Bluff Arsenal, where chemical weapons are stored, after three people entered a restricted zone, officials said Wednesday. The measures were a precaution after the intrusion at what is known as the Bond Road Exclusion area, part of a forested federal preserve 30 miles south of Little Rock.
Officials didn't know what the three people were doing there, spokeswoman Cheryl Avery said. "We are still assessing the situation," Avery said. She didn't say when the people entered the property or if they had left. | Thanks, Cheryl. That makes me feel so much better |
Other than the enhanced security, operations were continuing as normal, officials said.
The Pine Bluff Arsenal stores 12 percent of the military's chemical weapons, which include nerve gas and mustard gas. It is the nation's second largest stockpile. The materials are being incinerated, and officials have said that will take about five years to complete. |