A presentation by Michael Ginsberg on the history of chemical warfare testing at American University and the current remediation. Presentation was given on Wed. April 14, 2010 at Honors Capstone Colloquium.
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Toxins Beneath American University and Spring Valley Panel - Clip Part I and II
This is from a panel on Wed. April 21, 2010 on the chemical warfare cleanup at American University and Spring Valley and potential health effects of exposure to such chemicals.
Panelists included:
Beth Resnick, Johns Hopkins Director of Health Policy and Management;
Steven Hirsh, EPA Senior Spring Valley Project Manager;
Nan Wells, ANC Spring Valley Commissioner;
Kent Slowinski, former RAB member;
Dr. William Hirzy, Chair of AU's Chemistry Department
Objective:
To address potential health issues arising out of the current cleanup of the Spring Valley Formerly Used Defense Site and discuss lingering issues as the Army begins to conclude its investigation. It is hoped that the next steps for communication between the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), American University and Spring Valley residents will be outlined. Ideally, the framework for how AU, the Army and Spring Valley residents will interact and address potential issues in the future will be explored. The panel will also be an opportunity for the AU community to ask panel participants questions and become more informed. By making more people aware of the situation it will hopefully aid in the remediation of all chemicals and munitions so no future generations of AU students and faculty will have to deal with the problem.
Panelists included:
Beth Resnick, Johns Hopkins Director of Health Policy and Management;
Steven Hirsh, EPA Senior Spring Valley Project Manager;
Nan Wells, ANC Spring Valley Commissioner;
Kent Slowinski, former RAB member;
Dr. William Hirzy, Chair of AU's Chemistry Department
Objective:
To address potential health issues arising out of the current cleanup of the Spring Valley Formerly Used Defense Site and discuss lingering issues as the Army begins to conclude its investigation. It is hoped that the next steps for communication between the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), American University and Spring Valley residents will be outlined. Ideally, the framework for how AU, the Army and Spring Valley residents will interact and address potential issues in the future will be explored. The panel will also be an opportunity for the AU community to ask panel participants questions and become more informed. By making more people aware of the situation it will hopefully aid in the remediation of all chemicals and munitions so no future generations of AU students and faculty will have to deal with the problem.
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Toxins Beneath American University Expert Panel
Discover Why and How American University’s Campus and Surrounding Areas May Be Hazardous to Your Health.
Learn more from a panel of Environmental Protection Agency, environmental health and medical experts. Bring your questions, they will be here specifically for the AU community!Wesley Seminary is RIGHT next door to AU, literally a 5 minute walk from main campus. Don't miss this, it will be a very rare event, let me assure you!
Date: Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Location: Wesley Theological Seminary, Room K-106 of the Kresge Academic Building
Street, 4500 Massachusetts Avenue N.W.
Here is a map of Wesley: http://maps.google.com/maps?rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7ADRA_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=wesley+seminary&fb=1&gl=us&hq=wesley+seminary&hnear=Bethesda,+MD&cid=0,0,18020217078400583666&ei=lHPIS-WMGoT78Aasy7yGBw&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQnwIwAA
Army Corps Finds New WWI Chemical Site In DC Yard
Associated Press
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126040520&sc=emaf
FILE - A site in the Spring Valley neighborhood adjacent to American University is the focus of cleanup efforts to dispose of buried chemical weapons from testing dating back to World War I in Washington in this Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007 file photo. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has uncovered what could be a fourth major disposal area for World War I-era munitions and chemical weapons in the nation's capital. Digging was suspended April 8 as a precaution at the site in the pricey Spring Valley neighborhood near American University after workers pulled smoking glassware from the pit, project manager Dan Noble said Thursday April 15, 2010. This is the first discovery of the smoking chemical arsenic trichloride in the cleanup project. It can be used to develop the blistering agent lewisite, Noble said.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has uncovered what could be a fourth major disposal area for World War I-era munitions and chemical weapons in the nation's capital.
Digging was suspended April 8 as a precaution at the site in the pricey Spring Valley neighborhood near American University after workers pulled smoking glassware from the pit, project manager Dan Noble said Thursday.
Preliminary tests show the glassware was contaminated with the toxic chemical arsenic trichloride. Officials will review safety procedures before digging continues.
Workers also discovered a jar about three-quarters full of a dark liquid that turned out to be the chemical agent mustard. It was used during World War I as a weapon that caused blisters, breathing problems and vomiting.
"It's a much larger disposal area than we predicted," Noble said. "The nature of debris is so different, perhaps it's a different disposal area."
It's too soon to know for sure, Noble said.
During World War I, the Army used the university as an experiment station to develop and test chemical weapons. Previously, there were three known sites where weapons and chemicals were buried.
Glassware, chemicals, contaminated soil and munitions have been found since January in the front yard of a home next door to the university president's house, the Army Corps has revealed. About 30 intact items were sent to an Army lab in Edgewood, Md., for testing, Noble said.
American University spokeswoman Camille Lepre said there were no plans to move or cancel any campus events scheduled at the president's house.
About 350 pounds of glassware and debris had been removed from the site, along with about 676 barrels of soil, according to a campus memo Wednesday by university president Neil Kerwin.
This is the first discovery of the smoking chemical arsenic trichloride in the cleanup project. It can be used to develop the blistering agent lewisite, Noble said. An Army Corps spokeswoman said the chemical was contained and was not exposed to the outside air.
Several munitions also were discovered in recent months, including a 75 mm shell that was half full with a tear gas agent, Noble said. A few munitions also have been uncovered in the yards of homes that fall within a firing range near the campus, he said.
The Army Corps is preparing to destroy some munitions at a secured facility nearby as soon as Friday.
Last year, the Army Corps believed it had cleared the disposal area known as "Pit 3" but continued to dig test pits.
The latest discoveries came as a surprise to residents who worry the Army Corps is trying to end its cleanup before all munitions are uncovered.
"I'm concerned there's a rush to make the decision to get out," said Nan Wells, a neighborhood commissioner who represents area residents. "Things have been downplayed. That doesn't mean that I don't think the Army can handle this successfully."
This is the fourth major dig for munitions and toxic agents over the past 16 years since the burial pits were discovered in the neighborhood of multimillion-dollar homes. The current excavation began in 2007 at the house, which is owned by the federal government and located next to the South Korean ambassador's residence.
The cleanup project is one of the only places in a major city classified by the Army Corps as a "Formerly Used Defense Site."
A site in the Spring Valley neighborhood adjacent to American University is the focus of cleanup efforts to dispose of buried chemical weapons from testing dating back to World War I in Washington in this Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007 file photo. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has uncovered what could be a fourth major disposal area for World War I-era munitions and chemical weapons in the nation's capital. Digging was suspended April 8 as a precaution at the site in the pricey Spring Valley neighborhood near American University after workers pulled smoking glassware from the pit, project manager Dan Noble said Thursday April 15, 2010. This is the first discovery of the smoking chemical arsenic trichloride in the cleanup project. It can be used to develop the blistering agent lewisite, Noble said.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126040520&sc=emaf
FILE - A site in the Spring Valley neighborhood adjacent to American University is the focus of cleanup efforts to dispose of buried chemical weapons from testing dating back to World War I in Washington in this Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007 file photo. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has uncovered what could be a fourth major disposal area for World War I-era munitions and chemical weapons in the nation's capital. Digging was suspended April 8 as a precaution at the site in the pricey Spring Valley neighborhood near American University after workers pulled smoking glassware from the pit, project manager Dan Noble said Thursday April 15, 2010. This is the first discovery of the smoking chemical arsenic trichloride in the cleanup project. It can be used to develop the blistering agent lewisite, Noble said.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has uncovered what could be a fourth major disposal area for World War I-era munitions and chemical weapons in the nation's capital.
Digging was suspended April 8 as a precaution at the site in the pricey Spring Valley neighborhood near American University after workers pulled smoking glassware from the pit, project manager Dan Noble said Thursday.
Preliminary tests show the glassware was contaminated with the toxic chemical arsenic trichloride. Officials will review safety procedures before digging continues.
Workers also discovered a jar about three-quarters full of a dark liquid that turned out to be the chemical agent mustard. It was used during World War I as a weapon that caused blisters, breathing problems and vomiting.
"It's a much larger disposal area than we predicted," Noble said. "The nature of debris is so different, perhaps it's a different disposal area."
It's too soon to know for sure, Noble said.
During World War I, the Army used the university as an experiment station to develop and test chemical weapons. Previously, there were three known sites where weapons and chemicals were buried.
Glassware, chemicals, contaminated soil and munitions have been found since January in the front yard of a home next door to the university president's house, the Army Corps has revealed. About 30 intact items were sent to an Army lab in Edgewood, Md., for testing, Noble said.
American University spokeswoman Camille Lepre said there were no plans to move or cancel any campus events scheduled at the president's house.
About 350 pounds of glassware and debris had been removed from the site, along with about 676 barrels of soil, according to a campus memo Wednesday by university president Neil Kerwin.
This is the first discovery of the smoking chemical arsenic trichloride in the cleanup project. It can be used to develop the blistering agent lewisite, Noble said. An Army Corps spokeswoman said the chemical was contained and was not exposed to the outside air.
Several munitions also were discovered in recent months, including a 75 mm shell that was half full with a tear gas agent, Noble said. A few munitions also have been uncovered in the yards of homes that fall within a firing range near the campus, he said.
The Army Corps is preparing to destroy some munitions at a secured facility nearby as soon as Friday.
Last year, the Army Corps believed it had cleared the disposal area known as "Pit 3" but continued to dig test pits.
The latest discoveries came as a surprise to residents who worry the Army Corps is trying to end its cleanup before all munitions are uncovered.
"I'm concerned there's a rush to make the decision to get out," said Nan Wells, a neighborhood commissioner who represents area residents. "Things have been downplayed. That doesn't mean that I don't think the Army can handle this successfully."
This is the fourth major dig for munitions and toxic agents over the past 16 years since the burial pits were discovered in the neighborhood of multimillion-dollar homes. The current excavation began in 2007 at the house, which is owned by the federal government and located next to the South Korean ambassador's residence.
The cleanup project is one of the only places in a major city classified by the Army Corps as a "Formerly Used Defense Site."
A site in the Spring Valley neighborhood adjacent to American University is the focus of cleanup efforts to dispose of buried chemical weapons from testing dating back to World War I in Washington in this Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007 file photo. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has uncovered what could be a fourth major disposal area for World War I-era munitions and chemical weapons in the nation's capital. Digging was suspended April 8 as a precaution at the site in the pricey Spring Valley neighborhood near American University after workers pulled smoking glassware from the pit, project manager Dan Noble said Thursday April 15, 2010. This is the first discovery of the smoking chemical arsenic trichloride in the cleanup project. It can be used to develop the blistering agent lewisite, Noble said.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Digging for Solutions: American University's Chemical Past and Today's Chemical Warfare Remediation Presentation
Below is a presentation Michael Ginsberg, AU senior, gave titled "Digging for Solutions: American University's Chemical Past and Today's Chemical Warfare Remediation"
It is on the history of chemical warfare testing at American University and the current remediation, along with potential health issues and his observations and recommendations.
It is on the history of chemical warfare testing at American University and the current remediation, along with potential health issues and his observations and recommendations.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=639565683155&oid=340802356127
Monday, April 5, 2010
Explosive Destruction System Explained
The picture below is of an Explosive Destruction System behind Sibley Memorial Hospital. The Army Corps will explode five chemical munitions in this structure sometime this month. An EDS has never been used in a site or area similar to Spring Valley, however, the Army has full confidence in the reliability and safety of the system. To the Army EDS is so absolutely flawless that they did not develop a backup public safety plan in case something were to go awry.
Here is a video of Greg Nielson Spring Valley Site Manager explaining the EDS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7-HubX_C0s
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Coverage of Public Safety Plan Hearing
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36101882/ns/local_news-washington_dc/
No Public Safety Plan for Spring Valley Munitions Disposal
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More news from your region |
By Mark Stephens
NBCWashington.com
updated 33 minutes ago
The U.S. Army Corps of
The weapons were found in the Spring Valley neighborhood, which was once a testing and disposal site for the U.S. Army.
Weapons buried 90 years ago are still being discovered today, and some of them are scheduled to be destroyed next month.
At a City Council roundtable Monday, Spring Valley residents said the chemicals in the weapons are potentially hazardous, and they want to hear how the Army plans to act if something goes wrong.
"We have grave concerns," said Ward 3 councilmember Mary Cheh. "If something should go wrong, how will the community be notified? What is the worst case scenario we will face? What contingency plans are in place to safeguard public health in case of an accident?"
The disposal process will take place on federal property near the Dalecarlia Reservoir.
The old ordnance will be placed in a stainless steel containment vessel with another small explosive. The explosive will be detonated via remote, causing the old munitions to crack open. The potentially dangerous arsine gas would be trapped in the containment vessel, and neutralizing agents inside would react to form a less toxic
The Army Corps said the process is common, but admitted there is no emergency plan should something go wrong.
"We were not planning on taking additional protection actions beyond the federal property," said Todd Beckwith, a project manager with the Army Corps.
Residents said that's not good enough.
"The longest running play in America is here in Washington and it is named Shear Madness, which in my view is exactly what this decision is," said Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Stu Ross. "Just pause and think for a moment about what would happen if someone got it wrong."
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Thomas Smith added, "As history has shown us, accidents happen. It would be nice to know there is a plan in place that is more detailed than somebody saying, 'Whoops.'"
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