[CPEO-MEF] CHEMWEAPONS, FORMER SITES: "Recent hospitalizations underscore Spring Valley’s [DC] munitions hazard"

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Staff Editorial: Recent hospitalizations underscore Spring Valley’s munitions hazard

By Current News Staff Writer 
Northwest Current (DC)
August 23, 2017

After more than two decades of headlines about hazardous contamination in Spring Valley, it’s easy to become numbed to the Army Corps of Engineers’ slow cleanup process. But a recent incident serves as a reminder that dangers still lurk in the peaceful-looking community.

The neighborhood of Spring Valley was built in previously undeveloped woodlands, which the Army had used for testing chemical weapons during the World War I era. The Army Corps has been cleaning up the mess since 1993.

…

But lest there be any impatience, the need for the project’s methodical pace is perhaps clearer than ever. On Aug. 9, seven workers were hospitalized with symptoms of possible chemical exposure. They had been hand-digging 5 to 10 feet below the surface and had been wearing protective gloves, but were nonetheless treated for eye and skin irritation. The 4825 project has been paused while the Army investigates the incident and whether additional precautions are still needed.

…

For the entire column, see
https://currentnewspapers.com/staff-editorial-recent-hospitalizations-underscore-spring-valleys-munitions-hazard/

--

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

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