Norton Announces Site Visit After Meeting with US Army Corps of Engineers (8/13/09)

Norton Announces Site Visit and Community Meeting After Meeting with U.S. Army Corps on Mustard Agent in Spring Valley

August 13, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After a briefing in her office today by U.S. Army Corps Engineers Col. David Anderson concerning trace amounts of toxic mustard found by the Corps last week, as part of a decades-long clean-up of old World War I munitions at the site, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced plans for a site visit next week and a community meeting with the residents of the Spring Valley neighborhood in September. Anderson, who also spoke with reporters following the meeting with Norton, said that the small quantity of mustard agent discovered in a glass flask was not in a heated or vaporous condition, and there was no threat to public health. He said that an air monitor at the site did not detect the chemical, indicating the chemical had not vaporized.

The Congresswoman was particularly concerned about residents in the neighborhood and workers at the site, but in the briefing today she was told that workers had been tested, with results due soon, and so far were symptom-free.

"The discovery of toxic mustard traces last week, while clean-up work was proceeding in Spring Valley indicates why I sought and obtained a commitment from the Corps to remain in Spring Valley until all agree that the site is clean," Norton said. "It is not surprising that the old World War I munitions are being discovered because uncovering buried munitions is the mission. What we don't want is for residents or the public to find these old toxins by accident the way they were discovered in the first place. The digging that led to the discovery last week confirms that the digging must go on."

At a hearing that Norton requested in June, she exacted a commitment from the Army Corps of Engineers not to remain in Spring Valley until Congress and the community are assured that the clean-up is complete. She said that the purpose of her upcoming community meeting is to afford complete transparency, further explanation, and the opportunity for the Spring Valley community to question the responsible officials.