Dugway sheep incident

Last updated

Dead sheep owned by Ray Peck in Skull Valley, 1968 A0112shee.jpg
Dead sheep owned by Ray Peck in Skull Valley, 1968

The Dugway sheep incident, also known as the Skull Valley sheep kill, was a March 1968 sheep kill that has been connected to United States Army chemical and biological warfare programs at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. Six thousand sheep were killed on ranches near the base, and the popular explanation blamed Army testing of chemical weapons for the incident, though alternative explanations have been offered. A report, commissioned by Air Force Press Officer Jesse Stay and first made public in 1998, was called the "first documented admission" from the Army that a nerve agent killed the sheep at Skull Valley.

Contents

Background

Since its founding in 1941, much of the activity at Dugway Proving Ground has been a closely guarded secret. Activities at Dugway included aerial nerve agent testing. [2] According to reports from New Scientist , Dugway was still producing small quantities of non-infectious anthrax of a type used in the making of vaccines as late as 1998, 30 years after the United States renounced biological weapons. [3] There were at least 1,100 other chemical tests at Dugway during the time period of the Dugway sheep incident. In total, almost 500,000 lb (230,000 kg) of nerve agent were dispersed during open-air tests. [2] There were also tests at Dugway with other weapons of mass destruction, including 332 open-air tests of biological weapons, 74 dirty bomb tests, and eight furnace heatings of nuclear material under open air conditions to simulate the dispersal of fallout in the case of meltdown of aeronautic nuclear reactors. [2]

Incident

In the days preceding the Dugway sheep incident the United States Army at Dugway Proving Ground conducted at least three separate operations involving nerve agents. [4] All three operations occurred on March 13, 1968. One involved the test firing of a chemical artillery shell, another the burning of 160 U.S. gallons (600 liters) of nerve agent in an open air pit and in the third a jet aircraft spraying nerve agent in a target area about 27 mi (43 km) west of Skull Valley. It is the third event that is usually connected to the Skull Valley sheep kill. [4]

The incident log at Dugway Proving Ground indicated that the sheep incident began with a phone call on March 17, 1968, at 12:30 a.m. The director of the University of Utah's ecological and epidemiological contact with Dugway, a Dr. Bode, phoned Keith Smart, the chief of the ecology and epidemiology branch at Dugway to report that 3,000 sheep were dead in the Skull Valley area. The initial report of the incident came to Bode from the manager of a Skull Valley livestock company. [5] The sheep were grazing in an area about 27 mi (43 km) from the proving ground; total sheep deaths of 6,000–6,400 were reported over the next several days as a result of the incident. [6] The Dugway Safety Office's attempt to count the dead sheep compiled a total of 3,843. [7]

Possible causes

Previously obtained documents said a nerve agent demonstration occurred the day before the sheep deaths. [8] On March 13, 1968, a F-4 Phantom [9] fighter aircraft flew a test mission over the Dugway Proving Ground with chemical dispensers containing the nerve agent VX. One of the dispensers was not completely emptied during the test, and as the F-4 gained altitude after its bombing run, VX trickled out in a trail behind the aircraft, drifted into Skull Valley, north of the proving ground, and settled over a huge flock of sheep. [10]

One explanation in the aftermath of the incident was that a chemical or biological agent had escaped from the Dugway Proving Ground. Circumstantial evidence seemed to support this assertion; the United States Army admitted to conducting open-air tests with VX in the days preceding the sheep kill. The Army intimated that a spray nozzle had malfunctioned during the test causing an aircraft to continue spraying VX as it climbed to higher altitudes. [5] [6] It was reported that a small amount of VX was found in the tissue of the dead sheep. [6]

Other information contradicted the initial assumptions. One contradiction to nerve agent exposure as a cause came in the symptoms of some of the sheep following the incident. Several sheep, still alive, sat unmoving on the ground. The sheep refused to eat, but exhibited normal breathing patterns and showed signs of internal hemorrhaging. Regular breathing and internal hemorrhaging are inconsistent with nerve agent exposure, [7] and "no other animals of any type, including cows, horses, dogs, rabbits, or birds, appeared to have suffered any ill effects, a circumstance that was hard to explain if VX had in fact caused the sheep deaths." [5]

Aftermath

The incident affected the Army, and U.S. military policy within a year. The international infamy of the incident contributed to President Richard Nixon's decision to ban all open-air chemical weapon testing in 1969. [2] The sheep incident was one of the events which helped contribute to a rise in public sentiment against the U.S. Army Chemical Corps during and after the Vietnam War. [11] Ultimately, the Chemical Corps was almost disbanded as a result. [11]

Following the incident, the Army and other state and federal agencies compiled reports, some of which were later characterized as "studies". [4] A report which remained classified until 1978 and unreleased to the public until nearly 30 years after the incident was called the "first documented admission" by the Army that VX killed the sheep. In 1998, Jim Woolf, reporting for The Salt Lake Tribune , made the content of the report public for the first time. [2] The report described the evidence that a nerve agent was the cause of the sheep kill as "incontrovertible". [4] The 1970 report, compiled by researchers at the U.S. Army's Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland, stated that VX was found in both snow and grass samples recovered from the area three weeks after the sheep incident.

The report concluded that the "quantity of VX originally present was sufficient to account for the death of the sheep." [4] Even after the report surfaced, the Army maintained that it did not accept responsibility for the incident and did not admit negligence. [2] As late as 1997, one year before the report went public, U.S. Department of Defense officials stated that "the reason it (the report) was never published is because it wasn't particularly revealing." [12] Deseret News reported in June 1994 that Ray Peck, who owned the sheep that were killed, was outside working during the May 13, 1968, incident; members of his family developed nervous-system illnesses that were similar to those reported by people exposed to low levels of VX in lab experiments. Also, the probe showed that medical tests the Army had used to claim humans were not affected are now considered inconclusive, and the Pecks had shown other signs of low-level VX exposure. [8]

This incident formed the basis for the 1972 motion picture Rage , directed by and starring George C. Scott. [13]

The incident inspired Stephen King's novel The Stand . [14]

Author Richard Kadrey used the incident as inspiration for the name of a fictional metal band, Skull Valley Sheep Kill, in his Sandman Slim novel series. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VX (nerve agent)</span> Chemical compound and chemical warfare nerve agent

VX is an extremely toxic synthetic chemical compound in the organophosphorus class, specifically, a thiophosphonate. In the class of nerve agents, it was developed for military use in chemical warfare after translation of earlier discoveries of organophosphate toxicity in pesticide research. In recent years, VX was found to be the agent used in the assassination of Kim Jong-nam. In its pure form, VX is an oily, relatively non-volatile liquid that is amber-like in colour. Because of its low volatility, VX persists in environments where it is dispersed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porton Down</span> Military science park in Wiltshire, England

Porton Down is a science park in Wiltshire, England, just northeast of the village of Porton, near Salisbury. It is home to two British government facilities: a site of the Ministry of Defence's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) – known for over 100 years as one of the UK's most secretive and controversial military research facilities, occupying 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) – and a site of the UK Health Security Agency. It is also home to other private and commercial science organisations, and is expanding to attract other companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States and weapons of mass destruction</span>

The United States is known to have possessed three types of weapons of mass destruction: nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, and biological weapons. The U.S. is the only country to have used nuclear weapons on another country, when it detonated two atomic bombs over two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. It had secretly developed the earliest form of the atomic weapon during the 1940s under the title "Manhattan Project". The United States pioneered the development of both the nuclear fission and hydrogen bombs. It was the world's first and only nuclear power for four years, from 1945 until 1949, when the Soviet Union produced its own nuclear weapon. The United States has the second-largest number of nuclear weapons in the world, after the Russian Federation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dugway Proving Ground</span> US Army facility in Tooele County, Utah, United States

Dugway Proving Ground (DPG) is a U.S. Army facility established in 1942 to test biological and chemical weapons, located about 85 mi (137 km) southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, and 13 mi (21 km) south of the 2,624 sq mi (6,800 km2) Utah Test and Training Range.

The Skull Valley Indian Reservation is located in Tooele County, Utah, United States, approximately 45 miles (72 km) southwest of Salt Lake City. It is inhabited by the Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians of Utah, a federally recognized tribe. As of 2017 the tribe had 134 registered members and 15-20 people living on the reservation.

The United States biological weapons program officially began in spring 1943 on orders from U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt. Research continued following World War II as the U.S. built up a large stockpile of biological agents and weapons. Over the course of its 27-year history, the program weaponized and stockpiled the following seven bio-agents :

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Project 112</span> 1962–1973 US biological and chemical weapon test project

Project 112 was a biological and chemical weapon experimentation project conducted by the United States Department of Defense from 1962 to 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System</span> Chemical munitions disposal facility

Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS) was the U.S. Army's first chemical munitions disposal facility. It was located on Johnston Island, at Johnston Atoll and completed its mission and ceased operation in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M33 cluster bomb</span>

The M33 cluster bomb, also known as the (M33) Brucella cluster bomb, was a U.S. biological cluster bomb developed in the early 1950s and deployed in 1952. It was the first standardized biological weapon in the U.S. arsenal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deseret Test Center</span>

The Deseret Test Center was a U.S. Army operated command in charge for testing chemical and biological weapons during the 1960s. The Deseret was headquartered at Fort Douglas, Utah, a former U.S. Army base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weteye bomb</span> American chemical bomb

The Weteye bomb was a U.S. chemical weapon designed for the U.S. Navy and meant to deliver the nerve agent sarin. The Weteye held 160 kg (350 lb) of liquid sarin and was officially known as the Mk 116. Stockpiles of Weteyes were transferred to Utah in the 1980s amidst controversy and protest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Big Itch</span>

Operation Big Itch was a U.S. entomological warfare field test using uninfected fleas to determine their coverage and survivability as a vector for biological agents. The tests were conducted at Dugway Proving Ground in 1954.

The E14 munition was a cardboard sub-munition developed by the United States biological weapons program as an anti-crop weapon. In a series of field tests in 1955, the E14 was loaded with fleas and air-dropped.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MC-1 bomb</span>

The MC-1 bomb was the first U.S. non-clustered air-dropped chemical munition. The 750-pound (340 kg) MC-1 was first produced in 1959 and carried the nerve agent sarin.

The Granite Peak Installation (GPI) — also known as Granite Peak Range — was a U.S. biological weapons testing facility located on 250 square miles (650 km2) of Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. The GPI was a sub-installation of Dugway but had its own facilities, including utilities. Established in 1943, GPI was deactivated with the end of World War II.

The United States biological defense program—in recent years also called the National Biodefense Strategy—refers to the collective effort by all levels of government, along with private enterprise and other stakeholders, in the United States to carry out biodefense activities.

The United States chemical weapons program began in 1917 during World War I with the creation of the U.S. Army's Gas Service Section and ended 73 years later in 1990 with the country's practical adoption of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Destruction of stockpiled chemical weapons began in 1985 and is still ongoing. The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD), at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, continues to operate.

References

  1. ↑ Lee Davidson and Joe Bauman (February 12, 2001). "Toxic Utah: A land littered with poisons". Deseret News. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Norrell, Brenda. "Skull Valley's Nerve Gas Neighbors", (LexisNexis), Indian Country Today (Rapid City, South Dakota), October 26, 2005. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
  3. ↑ Hambling, David. "US army plans to bulk-buy anthrax", New Scientist, September 24, 2005. Retrieved November 27, 2007.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Woolf, Jim. "Army: Nerve Agent Near Dead Utah Sheep in '68; Feds Admit Nerve Agent Near Sheep", (LexisNexis), The Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1998. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
  5. 1 2 3 Regis, Edward. The Biology of Doom: The History of America's Secret Germ Warfare Project, (Google Books), Owl Books, 2000, p. 209, ( ISBN   080505765X). Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 Hoeber, Amoretta M. and Douglass, Jr. Joseph D. "The Neglected Threat of Chemical Warfare", (JSTOR), International Security, Vol. 3, No. 1. (Summer, 1978), pp. 55–82. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
  7. 1 2 Mauroni, Albert J. America's Struggle with Chemical-Biological Warfare, (Google Books), Praeger, Westport, Connecticut: 2000, p. 40, ( ISBN   0275967565). Retrieved November 26, 2007.
  8. 1 2 "Lethal breeze" Archived October 31, 2013, at the Wayback Machine By Lee Davidson, Correspondent Deseret News Sunday, June 5, 1994 Retrieved July 2, 2012
  9. ↑ Davidson, Lee. "Lethal Breeze". www.deseret.com. Deseret News. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  10. ↑ "A History Of Chemical Warfare, Greg Goebel (Accessed on January 31, 2010)
  11. 1 2 Mauroni, Al. "The US Army Chemical Corps: Past, Present, and Future Archived July 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine ", Army Historical Foundation. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  12. ↑ "DoD news briefing – Mr. Kenneth Bacon, ASD (PA)", (Lexis Nexis, relevant excerpt Archived December 12, 2016, at the Wayback Machine ), M2 Presswire, April 8, 1997. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
  13. ↑ Canby, Vincent (November 23, 1972). "Scott Is Star and Director in 'Rage'". The New York Times . 50.
  14. ↑ King, Stephen. "Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition: The Inspiration". Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved August 24, 2008.
  15. ↑ Kadrey, Richard [@Richard_Kadrey] (November 28, 2016). "The name Skull Valley Sheep Kill is also a reference to a real incident. Google it" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.