Colorado loses bid to speed destruction of weapons
A federal court says Colorado doesn’t have the authority to set a deadline for the Army to destroy chemical weapons stored at the Pueblo Chemical Depot.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals Sept. 5 upheld a lower court’s decision throwing out the state’s lawsuit.
Colorado argued that the Army must come up with a schedule to meet a 2017 deadline set by Congress to dispose of the mustard agent. The state asserted it has authority under its hazardous waste laws.
The appeals court ruled that Congress has the power to regulate the process. It noted that Congress has extended the deadline at least six times.
The Army says it could take until 2019 to eliminate the stockpile.
The Colorado attorney general says state health officials will decide whether to appeal. AP
Engine failure caused F-16C to crash in Utah
The Air Force says one of its jets crashed during a training mission in Utah this May because of an engine failure.
Details of the accident were released in a report Sept. 6 by Air Combat Command at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.
The F-16C Falcon crashed about an hour after takeoff in the Utah Test and Training Range about 60 miles west of Salt Lake City. The pilot safely ejected, but the jet was destroyed on impact.
The Air Force says the engine failed because an 8-year-old fan blade broke free, causing catastrophic damage.
The Air Force values the loss at nearly $24 million.
The pilot and the jet were assigned to the 421st Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. AP
Neil Armstrong to be buried at sea
Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, will be buried at sea.
A family spokesman said Sept. 6 no other details on the timing or the location of the burial were available. Armstrong was a Navy fighter pilot before joining the space program.
A public memorial service will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on Sept. 13. The service at 10 a.m., EDT, will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed on the websites of the cathedral and space agency. It will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. But reservations still must be made through NASA.
A private service was held in Ohio for Armstrong, who died Aug. 25 at age 82. AP
Navy cited by OSHA for mishandling toxic materials
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration says the Navy has violated worker safety standards at an aircraft hangar in Southern California that exposed workers to toxic materials such as lead, cadmium and beryllium.
OSHA Sept. 6 announced that the Coronado aircraft maintenance facility of the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest has been cited for 21 serious violations.
OSHA says a serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
OSHA’s San Diego director, Jay Vicory, says inspectors found widespread contamination on workplace surfaces, including in areas where the roughly 350 employees eat.
Navy spokesman Michael Furlano says the Navy is addressing the problem. AP
