Chemical warfare agents buried

First, past experience at other sites indicates a tendency to bury excess munitions. And, as noted, buried chemical weapons munitions have already been found at the Spring Valley site. Second, as the District of Columbia has seen above, the production of chemical warfare agents was very large. The operation had 1200 chemists and engineers and 700 support personnel. If each chemist used only one small bottle of dangerous chemicals a week, that is a lot of material. 

Uhe stockpile (the subject of the Amy s Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program) consists of (1) bulk containers of nerve and blister agents and (2) munitions, including rockets, mines, bombs, projectiles, and spray tanks, loaded with nerve or blister agents. Buried chemical warfare materiel, recovered chemical warfare materiel, binary weapons (in which two nonlethal components are mixed after firing to yield a lethal nerve agent), former production facilities, and miscellaneous chemical warfare materiel are not included in the stockpile. The disposition of these five classes of materials is the subject of a separate Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel Pro-... 

There are certain chemical munitions, materiel, and facilities that are not specifically included in the U.S. stockpile of unitary chemical weapons (those containing a single lethal chemical agent). These items are referred to as nonstockpile chemical warfare materiel and consist of binary chemical weapons, miscellaneous chemical warfare materiel, recovered chemical weapons, former chemical weapon production facilities, and buried chemical warfare materiel. 

Buried chemical warfare materiel The actual amount, chemical agent, condition, and type of materiel are unknown, and the number and locations of potential burial sites are uncertain. The Army has limited experience in disposing of buried chemical materiel. 215 12.04 40... 

Buried Chemical Warfare Materiel Chemical warfare materiel, which are buried on both private lands and military installations, consisting of various munitions, bombs, rockets, and containers that may have been contaminated with nerve, blister, blood, or choking agents. At some sites, chemical munitions and agents were drained into holes in the ground, covered with lime or burned in an open pit, and finally covered with earth. Based on preliminary analyses, the Army has identified potential chemical warfare materiel at 215 burial sites in 33 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington, DC. The Army has determined that thirty of the 215 potential burial sites warrant no further remediation activity. This determination is based on the Army s assessment of the potential burial site, prior remedial work, or accessibility to the site. 

According to Army officials, the lack of knowledge about buried chemical warfare materiel has created considerable difficulty in selecting appropriate disposal methods. The Army has conducted various analyses, including comprehensive documentation surveys, site visits, and interviews, to identify potential burial sites. Even at well-documented sites, the actual amount, chemical agent, condition, and type of buried materiel will remain relatively unknown prior to excavation and visual... 

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