US

Army: Missing VX Nerve Gas Blamed for Base Lockdown

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Army says Dugway Proving Ground, where military weapons are tested, was locked down for hours because a small amount of a nerve agent was unaccounted for.

The military said in a statement Thursday the amount missing was less than one fourth of a teaspoon of VX nerve agent, which affects the body’s ability to carry messages through the nerves.

The missing vial prompted a lockdown late Wednesday afternoon that lasted until the agent was found early Thursday.

The Army says no one was in danger and the lockdown was ordered as a precaution. Between 1,200 and 1,400 people were inside the facility at the time.

Dugway is about 85 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.

UPDATE:

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

Dugway spokeswoman Paula Nicholson said Thursday that the lockdown was ordered after a “routine inventory of sensitive material in the chemical laboratory. . . discovered a discrepancy between the records and the agent on-hand. As a precaution, the commander immediately locked down the installation and began efforts to identify the cause of the discrepancy. “

The vial was located, uncompromised, at 3 a.m. Thursday within the facility. Dugway officials did not specify exactly where the vial, containing less than 1 milliliter, or roughly a quarter-teaspoon of the agent, was found — nor did they detail how the vial had gone missing in the first place, or whether anyone was being disciplined as a result of the incident.

“All personnel are uninjured and safe. The public is safe as well,” Nicholson stressed.

Comments (96)

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  • lasthouseontheright
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 2:14pm

    Living in Salt Lake you can bet I was concerned, and you can bet that I want to know just where it was they found it. In Beck’s new gloves, or Palin’s new perm?

    Report Post »  
  • ConservativeMomofFour
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 2:13pm

    Okay, so they found it, who misplaced it and why? will we ever find out, Does anyone ask questions anymore?

    Report Post »  
  • @leftfighter
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 2:12pm

    Yes, always something to worry about, despite all the contingencies in place.

    I‘ll give you a true story you’ve never heard as an example:

    Back in the Summer of 1998, I was an Ammunition Technician (2311) stationed at Camp Pendleton and was forward deployed to a Combat Assault Excercise (CAX) at 29 Palms, California.

    As we were ramping down operations at the Field Ammunition Supply Point (Field ASP) and turning our ammo back over to the base ASP, a box of grenades fell off of one of the trucks transporting them. The base was locked down immediately upon us finding the box missing, and every vehicle trying to get off the base was searched top-to-bottom until it was found. (It was. An investigation was launched into what happened, but nobody ever got in trouble for the incident.)

    Here’s the disturbing thought: Sometimes it can take 30 minutes to an hour for a truck to begin to be accounted for upon arrival at the ASP. In other words, a truck can be loaded, have a box of grenades (or whatever) fall off in transit, get to the ASP and wait an hour in line to be accounted for. Meanwhile, the box that fell off cas found on the side of the road, picked up and moved offbase before the truck is ever counted.

    Translation: despite contingencies, deadly weapons and ordinance can easily make it offbase before it’s even known to be missing.

    Sleep well tonight!

    Report Post » @leftfighter  
  • Bigliardi
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 2:08pm

    VX is an extremely toxic chemical nerve agent…You can imagine its lethality, when you consider the the extreme measures taken to find just a quarter teaspoon of the stuff….

    Report Post »  
  • COFemale
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 2:03pm

    Just the other day at a local Army facility an unexploded ordinance was sitting against the fence that separates the base from a local community college. They evacuated portions of the college. The fence where the ordinance was found is a good distance from the normal storage area, but not too far where they stage equipment going over to Iraq or Afghanistan. The question is was someone planning to sneak the ordinance from the compound to use at the college or for other purposes. One will never know.

    Report Post » COFemale  
  • NickDeringer
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:59pm

    Realistically we all know that it was Sarah Palin’s fault.

    Report Post » NickDeringer  
    • Hoosier Daddy
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 2:07pm

      Damn her and her nerve gas misplacement inciting rhetoric.

      Report Post » Hoosier Daddy  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 2:16pm

      Good one daddy. :-)

      Report Post » Gonzo  
    • WHOISTHATMADMAN
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 6:44pm

      No no no, the lack of safety protocols from the Bush administration led to this. I wonder where they found it? I wonder how often their “routine” inventories are completed? I doubt that’s daily, probably not even weekly… I wonder how easily a Maj. Hasan wannabe could have walked off with something like this.

      Report Post » WHOISTHATMADMAN  
  • TexasCommonSense
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:54pm

    At least they found it. I wonder how the former USSR is doing with their old weapons.

    Report Post » TexasCommonSense  
  • So broke
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:50pm

    A missing WMD ??

    Report Post » BlazingPatriot  
  • BQI
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:50pm

    Trying to play down the amount is crazy. I say that movie with the VX gas that was stolen from a military base.

    Report Post » BQI  
  • Iamblacksheep
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:49pm

    they said no, nothing to worry about………..just move along, nothing to see here…….

    Report Post »  
  • Cemoto78
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:48pm

    Where did they finally locate this, in some one’s briefcase that was getting ready to leave the base and turn it over to Wikileaks

    Report Post » Cemoto78  
  • Warphead
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:48pm

    VX nerve gas missing? Thousands of dead birds just falling from the skies? Hmmm. I wonder.

    Report Post » Warphead  
    • goatkid
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:58pm

      I know. Aren’t you soooo glad that the government is here to help?

      Report Post »  
    • Warphead
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 2:22pm

      I smell a great big 9/11 right around the corner. Think that might wake up the intellectually challenged among us? The WTC attack woke them up for what, a week or two?

      Report Post » Warphead  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:47pm

    Not to worry about? What I wish to know is simple – an accidental mishandling of the vial of the deadly nerve agent; or was someone caught trying to smuggle it off the base via a major breaching of security. This does sound like they took all reasonable precautions to make sure everything returned to being secure, and with this stuff being involved, will not find fault with clamping down hard on the place.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • BQI
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:47pm

    I wonder whose hands this will end-up in? (Islamic terrorists)

    Report Post » BQI  
  • Goohuman
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:47pm

    Nope. They found it. It was “lost in place”.

    Report Post » Goohuman  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:47pm

    Did Homer Simpson carry it home by mistake?

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • TSUNAMI-22
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:47pm

    I guess Pelosi needed something stronger to inject into her face than botox.

    Report Post »  
  • Slayer
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:47pm

    Why is this article being posted? Unless I misread this, they found the nerve gas. So why is it a story? We still can‘t find what happened to all the money Obama took from us in the stimulus so why aren’t we focusing on that?

    Report Post » Slayer  
    • Iamblacksheep
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:50pm

      I know, and how about Elvis? we can’t find him either…

      Report Post »  
    • terri156
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:56pm

      It should be cause for concern for every American. If the vial was misplaced, even for a nano-second it is a big deal. If a vial was missing for any length of time it is a big deal. If someone “miscounted” an inventory it is a big deal. If someone was trying to steal it, or actually did and was caught it is a big deal. The public certainly has a right to know and to know the details of what happened.

      Report Post »  
    • Bigliardi
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 2:13pm

      Well, not much chance of keeping it a secret with the lockdown and all….Would have been even more embarrassing if they hadn’t said anything about it, and had a whistleblower out them..A good heads-up for the general population, as it looks like most folks were not aware that we were in the business of producing such deadly chemical and biological weapons…

      Report Post »  
  • BQI
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:46pm

    Man!

    Report Post » BQI  
  • Slayer
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:45pm

    Missing VX nerve gas?
    Call DHS! They’ll seize and shut down some websites that might be selling knockoff handbags.

    Report Post » Slayer  
  • TERMLIMITSNOW
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:44pm

    thanks for the explanation

    Report Post » TERMLIMITSNOW  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:43pm

    Now we have missing nerve gas, and the VX nerve agent is among the deadliest of the brew if I have remembered correctly; I hope they have found the thing, and anyone who has done any criminal acts in the matter need to be dealt with swiftly.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • Rob_M
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:42pm

    This stuff exists? So the movie The Rock wasn’t lying?

    Report Post » Rob_M  
    • My Sacred Honor
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:48pm

      yep and nope.

      Report Post » My Sacred Honor  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:50pm

      No, VX nerve gas from the literature I have read by a retired general in the book “How to wage war” and others is among the deadliest around; the exact amount needed is for obvious reasons classified and should be, yet even one touch of this stuff can be devastating.

      Just the psychological effects of the idea of someone using the stuff would cause chaos and panic to a large degree. And anyone doubting how effective even a crude attack with this stuff could be should look at the Sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway system several years back.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Goohuman
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:53pm

      Of course nerve agents exist. They have existed since WWI.

      You should be glad we keep some of it around. At least we are prepared for attacks of this nature. It is no joke that other countries can make nerve agents and use them on us and our allies. It would be a crime if we didn’t take it seriously and keep the knowledge of it current.

      Report Post » Goohuman  
    • Lord_Frostwind
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 4:49pm

      VX is some bad stuff. I believe the minimum required dose for it to be fatal is the amount it would take to fill Lincolns eye on the inside of a penny. A vial would probably be enough to kill most the base off, depending on its dispersion. Thank Heaven they found it.

      Report Post » Lord_Frostwind  
  • stmike
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:42pm

    Ugh. Again……meddling with things we ought not meddle with.

    Report Post »  
    • Bigliardi
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 2:09pm

      I agree…But a necessary evil…..I am sure there are things out there which would make vx look therapeutic by comparison

      Report Post »  
  • cessna152
    Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:41pm

    The NERVE of them….

    Report Post » cessna152  
    • Michiganjohn
      Posted on January 27, 2011 at 2:13pm

      Personally I’m just glad that that somebody is able to notice that small of an amount was missing.

      Report Post »  
    • Lunar
      Posted on January 28, 2011 at 12:13am

      I’m also glad this was inventoried properly. The danger came that the vial was so small it could have been transported off the base unknowingly and thats enough vx to kill a small crowd, It would boil off on its own upon being exposed to the air, so no dispersant was needed only to break the vial.

      STMIKE: did you read on how genetically modified mosquitos have been released in I believe Bolivia The news was here on the wire. The end of the world through zombies isn’t going to start here. Cause were all ruled by nanny, other countries are doing what the hell ever they want and when they screw it up it will likely NOT be the united states fault. We will all suffer however cause the Gov, in its current state could NEVER get on the ball fast enough to stop a true pandemic started by nations who think were morons for NOT doing this.

      Report Post » Lunar  
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