Demolition underway for chemical weapons incinerator

Demolition crews began tearing down the Deseret Chemical Depot, which was responsible for destroying almost half of the nation's chemical stockpile. The first building to go down was the Office of International Treaty Inspectors Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014 in Tooele.

U.S. Army

TOOELE A demolition crew has begun tearing down the U.S. Army's chemical weapons incinerator complex in Utah.

The plant has finished the job it was built for two decades ago: destroying almost half the nation's stockpile of chemical weapons, mostly rockets and artillery shells loaded with deadly mustard and nerve agents.

In Tooele County, there are mixed feelings regret that more than 1,000 jobs have disappeared at the Deseret Chemical Depot and relief that the nasty chemicals are gone for good.

The first building to bite the dust Thursday was the office used by treaty inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The inspectors came to Utah over the years to keep an eye on the Army's huge incinerator complex.

"(They) had remote monitors to view the operations that took place and verified that we destroyed the weapons that were stored here, said Gary McCloskey, general manager of URS, the company contracted by the Army to operate the incinerator complex.

Between 1996 and 2013, the incinerator burned more than 1 million bombs, rockets and other munitions, loaded with 13,000 tons of deadly blister and nerve agents. Under an international treaty, civilized nations agreed to get rid of it all.

"Chemical weapons were something the world could have easily done without, McCloskey said.

According to the Army, the site has now been cleaned of all dangerous chemicals. Some civilian businesses may be allowed to use a few remaining structures, but the Army itself will likely use the infamous igloos that stored the chemical weapons. Many of the munitions developed dangerous leaks as they aged into the 21st century.

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Demolition underway for chemical weapons incinerator