SALEM, Ore. – The Army National Guard has awarded the Environmental Security Award for Cultural Resources Management (CRM) to the Oregon National Guard for fiscal year 2020. The award highlights the on-going efforts of Mr. Jim Arnold and the Environmental Branch team for their work in Cultural Resources Management at Camp Umatilla, Oregon.
The CRM program integrated a process to preserve the historic value of the training site in accordance with state law, allowing the continued training mission and new construction projects to proceed at Camp Umatilla.
The Umatilla Chemical Depot originally opened in 1941 as part of the preparations leading up to World War II. The depot took on its chemical weapons storage mission in 1962. Beginning in 1990 preparations for the eventual closure of the installation began, as conventional ammunition and supplies were sent to other U.S. Military installations.
Following decommissioning in 2015, the land was transferred to the Oregon Military Department in 2018 who planned to use part of the base for a training facility, while the rest becomes industrial land and a wildlife refuge.