Sarin Gas leak, Blue Grass Army Depot, KY

Yes. Same stuff.

Here's a thread (actually, a single post) from GLP on 11/15/2008:

"RICHMOND, Ky. — Officials at Blue Grass Army Depot in central Kentucky have discovered a leak in an M55 rocket holding the nerve agent GB, or sarin.

Officials told the Lexington Herald-Leader that the leak Thursday happened in a rocket that holds sarin. The rockets are kept in airtight shipping and firing tubes, and crews periodically check them for leaks.

On Wednesday, workers began neutralizing 157 gallons of GB in a plan unrelated to the leak discovered Thursday. The plan, known as Operation Swift Solution, will destroy sarin that’s stored in three steel ton containers at the depot, near Richmond.

Crews detected the leak Thursday during an inspection. Blue Grass Chemical Activity spokesman Richard Sloan says the low-level sarin vapor was contained in the tube and didn’t escape into the igloo where the rockets are kept. He says such leaks happen two to five times a year."

How can no one have a comment about this????

Now the question is just what is Sarin doing still in a shell on a base?

Right???

Apparently, these leaks happen in Kentucky 4 or 5 times a year.... 4 or 5 TIMES A YEAR!! Why aren't the people in Kentucky freaking out over this? And why aren't people all over north america freaking out because it's even there???

I'm seriously surprised at the complacency of GLPers on this topic!!

WOW!

[link to www.cma.army.mil]

Blue grass isn't the only one either.

Every one here is used to it.It happens often.They are building a disposal but its way behind schedule to get rid of this mess.Stuff thats there is very old and unstable.

The Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD) is one of nine Army installations in the United States and currently stores chemical weapons.

Info at link

[link to www.cma.army.mil]

Weapons disposal plant at Blue Grass Army Depot 70 percent complete

It is expected to be completed, but not operational, by 2015, according to Craig Williams, co-chair of the Citizens Advisory Board.

The Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant will be used to disassemble and neutralize the 523 tons of never agents GB and VX, and mustard agent in projectiles, warheads and rockets stored at the depot.
[link to www.lanereport.com]



Older story

New Study Creates More Delays At Richmond’s Blue Grass Army Depot

Earlier this week, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported on another meeting revolving around the Blue Grass Army Depot’s disposal of over 15,000 chemical weapons stored at the central Kentucky site. The primary news coming out of the gathering was that the destruction of the weapons will be delayed by yet another year due to an environmental assessment required by a law dating back 42 years.

This latest delay is nothing new to those who have followed the over 20 year long winding procession toward the planned destruction of the mustard gas munitions stored at Richmond’s Blue Grass Army Depot. The depot, a chemical weapon storage site since the 1940s, houses roughly two percent of the U.S. Army’s chemical weapons stockpile.

[link to www.aceweekly.com]

Way behind schedule? The stuff is old and unstable? Forgive my pointed question, but says who?

My point is... it IS there.

You say "every one here is used to it" - I guess I'm just shaking my head at what some people will get used to :(

Stay safe, Kentucky :)

and what would freaking out do??
Not like you can just throw it in the trash can.
It takes a lot of time to dispose of this type stuff.
Its been there for years and other places are the same.
Doesnt matter where you run to there is something near that CAN be dangerous.

Well read the links I posted explaining it.If you live in KY then you know about it and I do live in KY.They have to complete the disposal plant in order to destroy the weapons.

2%
What states do you suppose the other 98% are in and its way more than that is here in Ky.

So, they've been planning to destroy these weapons for over 20 years, and yet, still they sit... well, at least the 2% of the U.S. Army's chemical weapons stockpile.

I am not comforted by any of it :(

They have been "getting rid of the stockpiles" since the 60s

Did the US have trillions of tons of the agents?

On the world stage, particularly in light of the whole recent Syria fiascal, it's not unnatural for me to be questioning the existence of a 40 year old stock pile of chemical weapons, some 8 hour drive from my home.

Is the planned destruction strictly a federally funded project? Does your state and local governments co-operate in the project? Is it solely a military project? Who gets to (and does any one) escalate the timing?

I appreciate your input. I just wasn't aware of how much of this stuff is 'still laying around'.

Key deadlines under the US - Russia deal:

By November 30, inspectors from The Hague's chemical arms agency are due to have completed on-site inspections of locations declared by Syria.

November 30 is also the deadline for destruction of chemical weapons production and mixing/filling equipment.

By June 30, 2014, the destruction of the entire Syrian chemical weapons arsenal is due to be completed.


It takes over 40 years and still the facility (in KY) is not even finished to destroy these weapons on US soil, yet, the proposal (U.S. - Russian deal) for the destruction of the entire Syrian arsenal is due to be completed by June 30, 2014, and the equipment to make the chemicals has already been destroyed at almost all Syrian sites (Nov 1 deadline)

[link to www.latimes.com]

I guess this makes sense to someone?

•. WoooohH l..l woowooh

That rook long....

Typical double standards from Useless Sates of America government.And what if the was a major explosion at any of these depots holding chemical weapons,bye bye the local community.Government doesn't give a shit about its own people never mind the Syrian people.

Sorry I had to run some errands..Here are a few more links with info.I certainly understand your concern.I am about 25 miles from this.So no it is not comforting at all.

Destroying U.S. Chemical Weapons Is an Ongoing, Decades-Long Process
[link to www.businessweek.com]

This is a 2008 link
Review of Secondary Waste Disposal Planning for the Blue Grass and Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plants
[link to www.nap.edu]

From 2012
Blue Grass Chemical Disposal Plant 45% Complete
The Blue Grass Army Depot's entire chemical arsenal encompasses 101,767 shells and rockets that are held in 44 igloos spread across 250 acres. The installation holds just 2 percent of the United States' original chemical arsenal -- the least of any of the nation's nine chemical stockpiles.

All chemical weapons have been destroyed at six sites, while disposal operations continue in Utah. Construction also continues on a demilitarization plant at the Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado
[link to www.nti.org]

I think this is the "Calling the Kettle Black Syndrome"...We can have it but no one else can....not good...

Pueblo Chemical Depot
[link to en.wikipedia.org]



United States

The U.S. stored its chemical weapons at eight U.S. Army installations within the Continental United States (CONUS). The stockpiles were maintained in exclusion zones at the following Department of Army installations (the percentages shown are reflections of amount by weight): Tooele Army Depot (TEAD), Utah (42.3% of total stockpile); Pine Bluff Arsenal (PBA), Arkansas (12%); Umatilla Depot Activity (UMDA), Oregon (11.6%); Pueblo Depot Activity (PUDA), Colorado (9.9%); Anniston Army Depot (ANAD), Alabama (7.1%); Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland (5%); Newport Army Ammunition Plant (NAAP), Indiana (3.9%); and Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD), Kentucky (1.6%). The remaining 6.6% was located on Johnston Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.

Currently stockpiles have been eliminated at Johnston Atoll, APG, NAAP, UMDA,[29] PBA[30] TEAD.,and ANAD.PUDA will begin elimination during FY 2015, and complete in FY 2017.BGAD will be last to complete this elimination which tentative dates have not been set.

The U.S. policy on the use of chemical weapons is to reserve the right to retaliate. First use, or preemptive use, is a violation of stated policy. Only the president of the United States can authorize the first retaliatory use.Official policy now reflects the likelihood of chemical weapons being used as a terrorist weapon
[link to en.wikipedia.org]