PUEBLO, Colo.—The Army says a leak has been detected in a chemical weapon at the Pueblo Chemical Depot, but nothing has escaped from the building where the weapon is stored.
Officials say a routine check on Wednesday found a minute amount of vapor inside the building, indicating a leak in an artillery shell containing liquid mustard agent.
Depot spokesman Chuck Sprague says none of the vapor has escaped the igloo-shaped storage building. He says there’s no threat to surrounding communities.
A filter has been placed on the building’s exhaust vent and the vent will be monitored. Sprague says a team in protective clothing will enter the structure Thursday to look for the leak.
Mustard agent is highly toxic and can cause severe skin and lung inflammation, cancer and birth defects.
About 2,600 tons of mustard agent is stored at the depot near Pueblo, about 100 miles south of Denver. The Army also stores mustard agent and other chemicals at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond, Ky.
Both stockpiles are slated for destruction but that process is running far behind schedule.
