The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility reduced its workforce by about 200 positions on Thursday, June 20, the largest layoff since the project completed chemical agent operations in 2011.
More than 160 positions were eliminated from the plant organization, including 60 lab employees who work for Southwest Research Institute, a URS subcontractor. The remainder of the reductions came from various support departments. Some departing employees are expected to transfer to other jobs within URS, the company that built and operates the plant.
This reduction coincides with the shutdown of the plant’s Control Room. Another reduction of about 95 employees is expected in late summer or early fall, once the site is determined to be ready for demolition work.
This week’s RIF leaves UMCDF staffing at about 270 employees. When the project completed destruction of Oregon’s chemical weapons stockpile in late 2011 it had approximately 830 employees.
Closure work is expected to continue through next year.
About one-third of the employees will transfer to similar URS jobs at chemical demilitarization plants at Pueblo, Colo., and Richmond, Ky., said Hal McCune, depot spokesman.
Those plants will use neutralization rather than incineration as their primary technology.
Workers were notified months in advance of their projected work completion date in order to plan for the transition.
It took more than seven years to destroy the depot’s rockets, bombs, mines, spray tanks and containers. The last furnace was used to destroy protective suits, filters and other secondary waste. The plant processed its final chemical weapon in October 2011.
Work since then has concentrated on decontamination and dismantling of plant equipment and structures in preparation for final demolition, which is scheduled to begin in August.
Some buildings not directly involved with chemical disposal will remain for community reuse.
Eventually, the Department of Defense will transfer 7,500 acres of Umatilla Chemical Depot land to the federal National Guard to own and manage as a training site for the Oregon National Guard. Remaining acres will likely be transferred by the Army to a local redevelopment authority.
