Crews searching for possible contamination at an old dump at Dugway
Proving Ground found 25 buried germ warfare bomblets this week.
The Army said they were filled with a harmless agent used to
safely simulate more potent germ weapons such as anthrax. But critics
say the simulant found — a variant of Bacillus subtilis (also known as
BG) — can be dangerous itself.
Dugway said the bomblets were discovered Monday by a contractor
using a backhoe during an environmental investigation of an old Solid
Waste Management Unit — or dump site — in a remote area three miles
east of Dugway's Carr Facility.
An Army press release said the bomb casings "were very corroded
and in various states of deterioration, but none were leaking." It
said they were likely buried 30 years ago.
Melanie Moore, spokeswoman for Dugway, said about five bomblets
were removed for testing at a secure laboratory and were found to
contain Bacillus subtilis. She said they will be disposed of properly.
A press release said the remaining bomblets will be covered over
and protected until the site investigation is concluded.
The Army said Dugway is investigating various suspected dump
sites to determine their content to help with plans to clean them
according to state and federal guidelines.
In Dugway's early days, unneeded munitions were sometimes taken
to remote sites and buried — and records of all locations and types of
arms dumped were not always kept. The Army in recent years has been
trying to identify and clean up similar sites nationwide at many
bases.
An Army press release said, "Bacillus subtilis (which was in the
bomblets) is a harmless bacterium found naturally in soil samples
throughout the world. It is commonly used as a simulant for other
bacteria that cause diseases. No health hazards associated with
Bacillus subtilis have been found."
Some critics disagree, however.
Leonard A. Cole, a Rutgers University political scientist who
wrote the book "Clouds of Secrecy" about Army germ warfare tests,
wrote that he found medical texts, studies and other information that
warned that Bacillus subtilis itself can cause infections.
He wrote that while it may not harm most people, it can cause
infections in people who are already sick or have open wounds. He said
studies show it has an unusual capability of genetic transformation
that some scientists suggest can make it a carrier of disease-causing
viruses.
So Cole has questioned whether it was safe for the Army to use
Bacillus subtilis in open-air tests at Dugway and other sites.
Dugway provided a fact sheet Friday where government scientists
noted that early reports of infections caused by Bacillus subtilis are
suspect because data was collected before it and Bacillus cereus were
clearly distinguished from each other.
But the fact sheet did say scientists have identified Bacillus subtilis infections in eyes (related to the contamination of contact
lenses) and in the membrane around the heart of a drug abuser.
The fact sheet also said scrubs, coveralls and other types of
uniforms are sufficient protection for routine work with the agent.
But it said gloves, goggles and respirators should be used when mixing
large amounts of it or using it in outdoor trials.
The Army used Bacillus subtilis
because it shares many characteristics of deadly anthrax bacteria.
Both may exist in spore form — where they take on a natural
armor-like coat and may survive for years.
When they later contact a warm, moist environment (like lungs or
an open wound), they transform into a vegetative and active stage.
