Umatilla Chemical Depot
The
Umatilla Chemical Depot, (UCD) based in
Umatilla, Oregon, is one of eight
U.S. Army installations in the
United States that currently
store chemical weapons. The chemical weapons stored at the
depot consist of various munitions and ton containers, containing
sarin (GB) or
VX nerve agent or
mustard gas (HD)
blister agent. The Army is working in partnership with
Oregon state and local government agencies (such as
Umatilla County, and
City of Hermiston), as well as federal agencies like the
Environmental Protection Agency and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to safeguard the local community and protect the environment as they store and dispose of these chemical weapons.
The Umatilla Chemical Depot opened in
1941, to prepare for
World War II. The depot's mission was to store and maintain a variety of
military items, from
blankets to
ammunition. The depot took on its chemical weapons storage mission in
1962 and stored 12% of the nation's stockpile. From
1990 to
1994 the facility reorganized in preparation for eventual closure, shipping all conventional ammunition and supplies to other installations. Today, the chemical weapons are the only items still stored at the depot.
The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility is designed for the sole purpose of destroying the chemical weapons stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. The facility was completed in
2001, and the Army plans to begin weapons disposal in
2004.
As of July 26, 2006, 732
tons (664
metric tons) of
GB (sarin) stocks were incinerated, representing almost 20% of the base's stockpile.[
1]
The facility uses high-temperature
incineration technology to destroy weapons, a technology employed by the Army for more than a decade, disposing of more than a quarter of the nation's original chemical weapons.
The
Oregon Citizens' Advisory Commission, whose members include area residents appointed by the
Governor, is a focal point for public participation in the Army's weapons storage and disposal program in Umatilla.
The Umatilla Chemical Demilitarization Community Outreach and Information Office, as well as the Umatilla Chemical Depot Public Affairs Office, both located in Hermiston, is open to the public Monday through Friday to answer questions and provide program information.
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UCD Map with emergency accident zones |
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Umatilla Chemical Depot @ the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency
