Biological, chemical tests near

Wednesday, March 17, 2004 | 10:53 a.m.

A federal agency is coming closer to releasing chemical and biological agents at the Nevada Test Site.

The National Nuclear Security Administration, an Energy Department agency, hopes to complete an environmental assessment in June that would justify going forward with the plan to test the threat and train for the response to chemical and biological agents, said Mike Skougard, the agency's environmental protection team leader at the Test Site.

Skougard spoke to the Nye County Commission on Tuesday, updating the board on the progress of the environmental assessment, a process that began in October. Before the agency can go forward with its plans, it needs to complete the environmental review.

Skougard assured the commissioners that the agents to be deployed at the Test Site would not threaten human or most animal life.

The agency is studying the impact of releasing the agents through explosives, from moving vehicles and aircraft, in ground spills, in buildings and over water, among other methods.

Skougard told the Nye County board that some similar releases have been happening at the Test Site for decades at a hazardous materials training center.

"We have been conducting in some cases quite large chemical releases at the Test Site's haz-mat spill center for about 20 years," he said.

The agents that would be released include nonlethal chemicals and four kinds of bacteria that are already common in the environment, as well as "killed" or noninfectious influenza virus.

"Most of them are probably right around this room right now," Skougard told the board. "We're looking at pretty benign organisms. ... We intend to treat these things with a lot of respect.

"At no time will any member of the general public be exposed," he said. "It will be up in the interior of the Test Site."

Nye County Commissioner Joni Eastley said some of her constituents were concerned about the impact the tests might have on birds migrating through the region.

Skougard said those birds were unlikely to be affected, but he also noted that the habitat around the release sites could feel the effects.

"Release of some chemicals, probably not biologicals, could result in some slight mortality for small animals and plants," Skougard said.

Following the presentation, which Skougard said he has done for other state and federal agencies, he said the National Nuclear Security Administration hopes to do five to 20 tests a year for various customers, most of which would be local, state and other federal agencies. Among them would be first-responders to emergency situations.

The chemicals and biological agents could mimic the dispersion of potentially dangerous agents that could be unleashed in a terror attack.

The National Nuclear Security Administration maintains the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile and oversees national nuclear laboratories.