Pueblo Weapons Depot

[Hoosier]

Dang http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20090911_2099.php

Crazy, should I buy some gas masks? The wind usually blows from the mountains towards the depot, so I should be upwind and above it in elevation -- but mustard gas is a nasty way to go.

H.

[GreenScoutII]

I'm closer than you are. I'm probably about 10-12 miles south of the chem depot. I had the same thought, but folks around here don't seem to be too concerned. Gas masks might just be a good idea though.

[Troublco]

Even if you get a mask on, you don't want the vapors to touch your skin. Mustard gas is classified as a blister agent. It doesn't hang around long, but if it comes in contact with your skin, ESPECIALLY damp areas, you get huge nasty fluid filled blisters. Odds are if you're a ways away and there's enough wind it would be dispersed enough before it reached you.

[GreenScoutII]

Well, humidity out here in the Great American Desert is usually about 10 percent and the wind howls, so it probably would be dispersed enough that it wouldn't cause too much trouble.

I had a great uncle who served in WWI. He was in his late 90's when I was a young teen. His lungs got pretty burned up by mustard gas in France. Even though he lived to be 101, he had life long trouble with respitory issues because of it. According to the story told to me, he wasn't right on the front lines, so maybe there is more danger than I want to think about...

Great, now I'm paranoid....

[Troublco]

The wind is your friend, in this case. And by damp, I mean like your pits and...other areas of your body similarly affected.

I know what you mean. One of my Great-Grandfathers was in the trenches in WWI as well, and he got some mustard gas in the lungs. Not enough to kill him outright, but it was the main contributing factor when he finally did go.

And just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you!

[bczandm]

A friend of mine grew up right there. Ten or twelve years ago they showed up at his front door with a little "air monitor" that sat in the kitchen. As I recall, green was good, yellow was problematic and red was make sure your will was signed.

At least that was his story.....

Bob