Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: dam@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (David Morning) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Anthrax Keywords: anthrax Message-ID: <1991Feb12.013342.7678@cbnews.att.com> Date: 12 Feb 91 01:33:42 GMT References: <1991Feb4.050514.12630@cbnews.att.com> <1991Feb5.035254.2230@cbnews.att.com> <1991Feb6.025234.17651@cbnews.att.com> <1991Feb8.012320.15310@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: Computing Sci, Glasgow Univ, Scotland Lines: 34 Approved: military@att.att.com From: David Morning jch@GS48.SP.CS.CMU.EDU (Jonathan Hardwick) writes: }The testing was performed in WW II, to establish whether or not anthrax was a }viable wartime weapon. The island was off-limits to everyone not wearing an NBC }suit until a few years back. The military then used a brand-new procedure to }decontaminate the island; it was described on "Tomorrow's World", a British }science-and-technology tv program. I can't remember the exact details, but I }believe it involved injecting superheated saline steam (?) into the turf of the }island. After suitable testing, they declared the island to be free of viable }anthrax spores. However,I don't think anyone has yet gone so far as to actually }*live* on the island. Maybe one of the Scottish correspondents has more info? The island involved is Gruinard Island off the north west coast of Scotland. It's about half-way between the port of Ullapool to the north and Gareloch to the south. The island itself sits in a bay about a mile and a half off the mainland and is roughly circular about 1 1/2 miles in diameter. Various attempts over the years had been made to clean up the island including burning, removing the top foot of soil and flooding the whole island with formaldehyde (aaak!). I wasn't aware that they had used superheated saline steam on it but whatever the method it was declared safe by the MOD (Ministry of Defence) around 1986. Greenpeace arrived on the island shortly after the announcement, took away samples and declared the island still had anthrax spores present. The MOD countered that the levels were insignificant. The island was handed over to a trust body The Gruinard Island Trust who are currently trying to decide what to do with the island. No one lives on it at present. I spent last summer up in the area and can recommend it as very pretty but I think boat trips to Gruinard are probably out! Dave