[CPEO-MEF] FORMER SITES, CHEMWEAPONS: Mysterious find in Spring Valley, DC

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

As WWI munitions cleanup nears end, mysterious find pauses project

By Neal Augenstein 
WTOP Radio (Washington, DC)
May 19, 2017

WASHINGTON — The recent discovery of an unknown substance containing low levels of mustard gas has temporarily halted the cleanup of a World War I chemical weapons testing site found under a house near American University.

Five years after the house at 4825 Glenbrook Rd. NW, was removed, in the Spring Valley neighborhood, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tells WTOP the final stages of the cleanup of toxic munitions is in the midst of a brief pause, after crews found an unknown black substance mixed with soil on the property.

The home built on top of a World War I munitions site has been torn down. On Monday, the Army Corps of Engineers starts removing the home\’s foundation, with the \”high probability\” of finding remnants of chemical agents. 

“We don’t know what it is, but it has low levels of mustard,” said Chris Gardner, spokesman with the Corps’ Baltimore District. In functioning weapons, mustard gas can cause large blisters on skin and in lungs.

…

For the entire article, see
http://wtop.com/dc/2017/05/wwi-munitions-cleanup-d-c-nears-end-mysterious-find-pauses-project/

--

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650/961-8918 
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

_______________________________________________
Military mailing list
Military@lists.cpeo.org
http://lists.cpeo.org/listinfo.cgi/military-cpeo.org