What keeps harmful chemicals from escaping into the community environment while the weapons are being destroyed?
Engineering controls are the first line of defense in protecting the public when a chemical agent is being destroyed at one of the DoD’s chemical weapons disposal facilities: • Airborne chemical vapors are contained within the disposal facility by a strong airflow system that pulls air in toward the main operations area and special exhaust outlets. • The exhaust airflow is so strong that air can only move in one direction-back into the facility. This keeps contaminated air from escaping to the outside. • The air captured by the exhaust system goes through a series of special carbon filters that effectively removes the chemical agent. • Throughout the process, the air is monitored by sensitive equipment on back up power supplies to ensure that chemical agents are not escaping into the worker or community environment. CDC staff help ensure that engineering controls remain effective by • Reviewing plans for the engineering controls and ventilation systems before the facility’s constructio
