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Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program The U. S. Army stores seven and a half million pounds of unitary chemical weapons agents at a depot in Umatilla Oregon. The two types of agents stored at Umatilla are a blister agent, sulfur mustard and two organophosphate nerve agents, GB (Sarin) and VX. These aging chemical agents are stored in munitions such as land mines, projectiles, rockets, and bombs, and also without explosives in spray tanks and one-ton containers. Fact Sheets
The depot, one of eight stockpile sites in the country, is located near the Columbia River, thirty miles south of the Tri-Cities of Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco Washington. Some Washington residents live just across the river, within six miles of the depot. Depending on the season, up to 4000 residents, seasonal workers, and recreationalists in southern Benton County Washington, and many more in Oregon live in areas that might be affected by an accidental release from the depot. The aging of the chemical weapons and pending international treaty obligations have spurred Congress to mandate destruction of these weapons. In response the army has constructed an incinerator at Umatilla that will begin operations in 2003 with a goal of destroying the stockpile by 2008. Although the incineration process raises concerns among many residents, potential accidental releases during weapons storage are thought to present the larger risk to public health. The Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) was created by Congress to fund county and state efforts to plan for potential releases. Congress charged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with assessing the ability of local medical communities to respond to an accident at a stockpile. Later discussions between the army and CDC led to funding for state health departments to assist stockpile communities in addressing medical preparedness. Responsibility for the Washington CSEPP program is within the Washington State Department of Health. Medical planning is a coordinated effort among local hospitals, pre-hospital medical providers, the local health district, and local and state emergency management agencies. The charge to the state health department includes determining the population at risk, assessing community medical assets, and addressing deficiencies that would affect the ability of the medical and public health communities to respond to an accident. In addition to ensuring that plans meet the CDC guidelines for medical preparedness in stockpile communities, agency staff review risk assessments, environmental impact statements, and other documents that pertain to the stockpile. For additional information please visit the following sites:
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