Pine Bluff Arsenal Furnaces Tested
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
Trial burns of the second of three furnaces
in the chemical weapons incinerator at Pine Bluff Arsenal will
begin by next week. The test uses chemical compounds that officials
say are harder to destroy than chemical weapons to show whether the
furnace is working properly.
The tests are monitored by state environmental regulators.
Chris West, a spokesman for the company that built the
incinerator, says the intent is to test the thousands of switches,
valves and other parts that run the furnace.
The deactivation furnace will burn off remaining G-B or V-X
nerve agent from pieces of rockets and land mines that have already
been drained.
A trial burn of the first furnace, called the liquid furnace,
was completed in early September. Liquid weapons agents would be
drained into the liquid furnace for destruction.
A report with the final results of that test has been completed
and is expected to be submitted to the state after it has been
reviewed by the Army.
Posted by Mike Hellgren
