Recovery of Chemical Weapons An Overview
Buried munitions
Past disposal of sulfur mustard containers at sea
A DoD team uses mobile equipment for disposal of recovered chemical materials.
Chemical munitions recovered from the ocean.
Delaware: Artillery shell found in a driveway paved with crushed clamshells. DoD personnel recovered the artillery shell and destroyed it. These discarded chemical weapons can be found in unlikely places. If you see something suspicious, don’t touch it. Call your local police department.
If you see something suspicious,
call your local police department.
Munitions shell recovered off NY coast.
New York: Commercial fishermen found chemical munitions while dredging for clams off the coast of Long Island. Two fisherman were treated at a local hospital, where a nurse trained in chemical agent injuries recognized their symptoms were related to a chemical exposure. This incident underscores the importance of training first responders and medical personnel on procedures for chemical agent exposure.
Training first responders saves lives.
Buried chemical warfare materials found in Spring Valley.
District of Columbia: Chemical warfare research was conducted at labs in Spring Valley during World War I, and chemical agents were buried near the labs. Many chemical items have been found and recovered. The U.S. Army developed plans for recovery and destruction and CDC reviewed the plans and approaches. Recovered items are destroyed or disposed of as they are found.