An on-site container containing VX agent-filled M55 Rockets will be sealed before being pulled by a truck a short distance to the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. Download High-Res Image

The Deseret Chemical Depot (DCD) was one of nine Army installations in the United States that stored chemical weapons. The weapons originally stored at the depot consisted of various munitions and ton containers, containing GB, GA and VX nerve agents or H, HD, HT and Lewisite blister agents. All chemical agent munitions at DCD have been destroyed. The Army worked in partnership with Utah state and local government agencies, as well as federal agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to safeguard the local community and protect the environment as we stored and disposed of these chemical weapons.

The Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (TOCDF) was designed for the sole purpose of destroying the chemical weapons stockpile stored at DCD. Facility construction was completed in 1993. From 1993 to 1996, the facility underwent a testing phase known as "systemization" where treatment and disposal systems were tested to ensure safe operations. The Army has safely stored approximately 44 percent of the Nation's original chemical weapons at the DCD since 1942. In August 1996 the Army began disposing of these weapons at the TOCDF.

The TOCDF used high-temperature incineration technology. The Army employed this technology for more than two decades, safely and successfully disposing of more than half of the Nation's original chemical weapons.

The last chemical agent munitions at DCD were safely destroyed on Jan. 21, 2012.

The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity (CMA) also develops and operates mobile treatment systems for on-site treatment of recovered chemical weapons. The activity successfully treated recovered chemical weapons at DCD.

Safety and Security

The safety of workers, the public and the environment are paramount to the success of the chemical weapons disposal mission. The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity (CMA) oversaw the secure storage of chemical munitions at DCD to ensure that they were safe.

Once munitions were slated for disposal, they were transported, treated and disposed of following strict internal processes and regulatory requirements. The CMA remains committed to creating a safer tomorrow by safely storing the remaining two stockpiles in Colorado and Kentucky and safely assessing and treating recovered chemical warfare materiel through its Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel Project—permanently eliminating the threat of aging chemical weapons to our communities and our Nation.

Public Participation and Community Relations

The Utah Citizens' Advisory Commission, whose members include area residents appointed by the governor, is a focal point for public participation in the Army's weapons storage and disposal program in Tooele.

The Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program works closely with your community and state emergency professionals to develop emergency plans and provide chemical accident response equipment and warning systems.

To learn more about the Army’s chemical weapons disposal mission visit the Tooele Chemical Stockpile Outreach Office.