Leaking mustard gas weapon found at Umatilla depot

Associated Press - July 27, 2007 1:25 PM ET

HERMISTON, Ore. (AP) - Workers at the Umatilla Chemical Depot discovered a leaking mustard gas weapon this week in a storage igloo, the depot said.

Depot officials said the leak was found during a routine inspection and caused no danger to the public. The storage structures contain filtering systems that prevent the escape of chemical vapors.

Depot officials said the mustard agent provides less threat than the more dangerous VX nerve agent also stored there. Both are scheduled for incineration as a part of a program to eliminate all such weapons.

Mustard gas produces large blisters on the skin on contact but can be fatal if inhaled. The campaign to incinerate the mustard agent is not scheduled to begin until the VX nerve munitions are destroyed.