The Umatilla Army Depot is home to a good deal of the country's chemical weapons. We were interested in the depot as a class because of the depository, of course, but also because Umatilla is in the process of building an incinerator that will soon begin burning the chemicals. The nearby towns of Irrigon and Umatilla have been involved in preparing for the possibility of a malfunction in the new plant. We spoke to Geoff Tyree, a spokesperson for the Depot, and Meg Capp, who is associated with efforts to prepare the residents of the area for disaster. Here is a student's report of the tour:
"On our three-day field trip, we had the privilege to stop at the Umitilla Army Depot, in, well, Umatilla, Oregon. The Depot was built in 1941 and houses 12% of the nation's chemical weapons. The weapons are stored in large bunkers, or igloos, which can be seen as you drive by on the freeway. We were told that some of the bunkers are currently empty; only 89 of them have weapons stored in them. Each storage bunker is monitored for leaks once each week. The United States has agreed to destroy all of its chemical weapons by the year 2007. Currently, an incinerator is being built at the Depot. This will be used to destroy all of the weapons stored there, hopefully by 2007. Eventually, the bunkers and the incinerator will be destroyed as well, and the habitat in the area will be restored"
Return to 3-day trip