Low levels of deadly nerve agent vapors have been detected leaking from a chemical warfare rocket storage facility at Blue Grass Army Depot in central Kentucky. The storage igloo contains M55 GB sarin rockets.
Toxic chemical workers have connected a 1,000 cubic feet-per-minute filter to the igloo’s rear vent. The Army Chemical Materials Agency says there’s no danger to people in surrounding counties and that state and local emergency officials have been notified of the leak.
The agency says the leak was discovered during weekly monitoring. As the Army continues to work on chemical weapons stockpile disposal, the stocks are routinely monitored for leaks. Sarin is of particular concern as the nerve agent forms acids as it decomposes which can corrode the aluminum casings in the M55 rockets.