Next step is to complete filtration system before incinerating contaminants

Deseret Chemical Depot has finished sampling its stockpile of nearly 6,400 mustard-agent-filled bulk containers to determine which contain elevated levels of mercury. The project wrapped up Tuesday, 14 months faster than originally scheduled, according to Alaine Grieser, spokeswoman for DCD.

“This was a critical project, and a very successful one,” said Ted Ryba, Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility site project manager. “Everything we did was based on a need to know what was inside those bulk containers, and because of our joint EG&G/DCD sampling project, now we know. It is information we need to help us complete our mission of safely eliminating the entire DCD chemical weapons stockpile.”

The project, which started back in June 2006, confirmed that 15 percent of the mustard containers were contaminated with elevated levels of mercury, according to Grieser. Mustard containers with high levels of mercury were separated from other containers, the latter of which will be disposed of first.

Amy Blauser, Tooele Chemical Stockpile Outreach Office manager, said DCD plans to begin destruction operations on the mercury-tainted containers in 2010, following the completion of a new filtration system that will serve to capture mercury compounds before the exhaust from the incineration process is released into the atmosphere. The new sulfur-impregnated filter is currently under construction.

Part two of the sampling process involved the measuring of residual sludge, referred to as “heel,” left in the ton containers after the liquid agent is drained. Because only a specified amount of sludge can be left in the container prior to it entering the metal parts furnace — the final leg of the destruction process — Blauser said the heel on each container had to be measured to determine if it could be processed as is or if other action was needed.

Containers with too much sludge are required to be put through a new Heel Transfer System, which uses high-pressure hot water to break up and soften the sludge so it can be pumped into other empty containers to allow for safe processing.

As a whole, Grieser said, the sampling project not only helped DCD stay on track for meeting the 2012 deadline for complete destruction of the facility’s entire stockpile, but enables the depot to incorporate a more effective and efficient means of storage from now until then.

“One of the great side-effects of this project was that we were able to put the ton containers back in the igloos and sort them,” Grieser said. “So when the plant wants a specific container, we know exactly where they are.”

Grieser attributed the early completion of the sampling process to cooperation between DCD workers.

“The storage-area workers and the sampling folks just got a rhythm that worked for them,” Grieser said. “They got it down to a really smooth operation and it went faster.”

Jamie Belnap: jamieb@tooeletranscript.com