Glossary of chemical weapons terms

12-30-2001

Benzene: A possible type of emission from combustion at the incinerator, benzene is a liquid derived from petroleum and used in production of many chemicals. It is a known carcinogen. Chemical event: A broad, often disputed term that refers to various scenarios involving chemical agent leaks. Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program: The federal program to prepare communities for the unlikely event of chemical weapons accidents at the stockpiles to be destroyed by the Army. The Alabama counties in the CSEPP program are Calhoun, Talladega, Clay, Cleburne, Etowah and St. Clair. The eight CSEPP sites are in Anniston, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Arkansas, Colorado, Utah and Oregon. The program is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Chemical weapon: A chemical that causes death or injury to people or animals as well as the ammunition and equipment used to disperse it. A chemical used successfully as a weapon must be toxic, but not too difficult to handle, and be able to be stored for long periods without degradation. The chemical also must be able to resist atmospheric water and oxygen and withstand heat involved in its dispersal. Concentration: The quantity of vapor or aerosol suspended in a volume of air. Demilitarization: The mutilation, destruction or neutralization of chemical weapons, rendering them harmless and ineffectual for military purposes. Dioxins: A family of toxic substances that are the byproducts of the production of some chemicals. Most dioxin pollution comes from the burning of chlorinated material. Dioxins are a possible emission from the incinerator. Emergency operating center: The location or facility where officials gather during an emergency to direct and coordinate emergency operations. Emissions: Substances discharged into the air, especially by a combustion process. Evacuation: A protective action that involves leaving an area of risk until the hazard has passed and the area is safe for return. Furans: A family of toxic industrial byproducts closely related to dioxins. Gelled munitions: Mustard agents that have deteriorated into a solid. These munitions have taken longer to destroy than others. Igloo: An earth-covered structure used to store ammunition. Incinerator: The Anniston plant has four incinerators: a liquid nerve agent incinerator, a metal parts furnace to burn non-explosive munitions parts, a deactivation furnace system to burn explosives, fuses, propellants and residual agent, and a dunnage incinerator to burn contaminated articles such as pallets and clothing. Maximum protection: As mandated by U.S. Congress, “maximum protection” is the level of safety that the Department of Defense must provide the people of Calhoun County. What "maximum protection” entails, however, has been the subject of a dispute among local, state and federal officials. Mustard agents: Chemical agent that can cause blistering of the skin, respiratory damage and conjunctivitis. Nerve agents: Chemical agents that attack the central nervous system. GB, or sarin, and VX, the kinds of nerve agents stored at the depot, can be lethal. “Pink zones” or immediate response zones: The area within a 9-mile radius of the possible source of a chemical event. Plume: The cloud resulting from a chemical event. Protective action zone: In emergency planning lingo, the Protective action zone is the area 10 to 30 miles from the possible source of a chemical event. Shelter in place: A protective action that involves taking refuge in various kinds of structures. Tetrachloroethylene: A liquid used in the incinerator, tetrachloroethylene is a drying agent for metals and a cleaning solvent. It is a possible emission from the incinerator. Toxicity: The degree to which a poison is harmful. These definitions were adapted from a number of print and electronic sources, including the Chemical Stockpile Preparedness Glossary and the Web site of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.