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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- An environmental group says the Army could use an alternative method to destroy mustard agent at the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, one that would release less mercury.
The Army's plan to burn the blister agent is expected to release between one and 21 pounds of mercury over 18 months.
Statewide, Utah companies reported releasing 120,847 pounds of mercury into the air, land and water, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's tally for 2004.
Trace Salmon, deputy project manager at Deseret Chemical Depot, said the agent is in 6,400, one-ton containers. Only those with the lowest mercury contamination -- just over 5,000 containers -- are to be included in the first phase of elimination program, set to begin in August.
Minimizing the mercury will cost about $50 million, he said. "We're spending a lot of money on this mercury," Salmon said.
But Jason Groenewold, director of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah, said a safer, lower-mercury technology -- chemical neutralization -- is being used by the Army in four other states to destroy the chemical weapons.
That method also is to be used to destroy the Tooele mustard containers with higher concentrations of mercury.
"We maintain there could be virtually no (mercury) release if the Army implemented non-incineration techniques to destroy our stockpile of mustard agent," Groenewold said. "Yet, they have chosen not to, and regulators are prepared to say that's OK."
Dennis Downs, director of the hazardous waste division, said the projected release of mercury from the mustard incineration is tiny compared to other mercury sources.
But he said comments by HEAL would be considered as part of the continuing public review of the plans.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
