How reliable is the incineration process?
No community resident has ever been exposed to harmful levels of chemicals from disposal operations. To date, millions of pounds of chemical agents have been destroyed safely at the Johnston Atoll facility in the Pacific Ocean; in Tooele, Utah; Anniston, Alabama; Umatilla, Oregon; and Pine Bluff, Arkansas. A number of safeguards are built into the materials transport and disposal systems. For example, • Weapon-related materials are put into containers that are closely examined for leaks before they are used. • All containers are inspected and monitored again after they have been moved and off-loaded to the disposal plant. • Air in the disposal facility passes through a cascading airflow system from cleanto increasingly contaminated areas to prevent migration of chemical agents to the outdoor environment. • In specific areas of the plant where a chemical release is most likely, the air is continuously monitored with systems capable of detecting chemical agent concentration levels below
