UMCD makes its last delivery of ton containers to UMCDF

UMATILLA CHEMICAL DEPOT, Hermiston, Ore. – The Umatilla Chemical Depot delivered the last stockpiled ton containers filled with mustard chemical agent today shortly before 11 a.m. to the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF).

A brief ceremony highlighting the event took place near the depot headquarters with employees and invited public officials.

“Today’s milestone marks the first time in more than 40 years that chemical weapons will no longer be stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot,” said Lt. Col. Kris Perkins, depot commander. “Thanks to the efforts of our work force, we were able to safely and compliantly store, secure and ship more than 220,000 chemical weapons. I am very proud of the work force and our community partners in working together to achieve such a historic milestone.”

Depot officials are projecting the last remaining ton containers will be disposed of by the end of October, 2011.

Chemical weapons were brought to the depot in 1962 and have been in storage since that time. Destruction of the chemical agent stored at the depot began in the fall of 2004.

Today’s final shipment of weapons comes 70 years after the depot’s formation on Oct. 14, 1941. The depot received its first conventional weapons on Oct. 27, 1941, two months before the U.S. entered World War II. All of the conventional weapons were shipped from the depot in 1994.
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Traffic conditions

ODOT/Eastern Oregon: I-84 closed La Grande to Arlington (east andwestbound) due to icy condition and truck crashes. All major routes inUmatilla Co. closed (I-82, OR Hwy. 11, US 730). Closures are due totrucks blocking and extremely ice condition. Roadblocks are not manned at all hwys at this time. Severe icy conditions. ODOT advised alltravelers to stay home.

Press Release: Lightning-Caused Fire Near Umatilla Depot

Several thousand acres burn at Umatilla Chemical Depot. Lightning caused several wildfires.

Umatilla Chemical Depot, Hermiston, Ore. - Depot officials have revised estimates about lightning-caused wildfires on the Umatilla Chemical Depot. Preliminary estimates are that fires have now burned several thousand of the depot's 19,729 acres.

The fires are burning in the northern portion of the depot and adjacent property off post. Portions of some fires are now contained. Firefighters from the depot, Boardman, Irrigon and Hermiston Fire Departments are fighting the blazes per mutual aid agreements.

The depot's chemical weapons stockpile is not involved in the fire. Chemical weapons at the depot are stored in reinforced concrete earth-covered "igloos" designed to resist fire or other threats. All nerve agent has been destroyed; the only remaining munitions are bulk containers of mustard blister agent that do not have any explosive components.

As previously reported:

* The first fire started at about 6:20 p.m. today.

* One emergency response worker suffered a knee injury while exiting a vehicle and was taken to the depot clinic.

* Depot workers moved vehicles and other equipment out of the path of the fire.

* Depot officials notified off-post emergency operations centers in Umatilla and Morrow counties, Ore.; Benton County, Wash.; those in Oregon and Washington states; and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.