FOR: Chemical Weapons Tests in Panama and U.S. Responsibility

Panama Update Archives

TEST TUBE REPUBLIC: Chemical Weapons Tests in Panama and U.S. Responsibility

Annex A:
Chemical Weapons Activities of
United States in Panama, by Site

Other Sections:
I. Introduction
II. Brief History of Chemical Weapons Programs in Panama
III. Storage of Chemical Agents and Munitions
IV. Chemical Weapons Tests
V. Disposal of Chemical Agents and Munitions
VI. Potential Long-Term Dangers Posed by Abandoned Chemical Weapons
VII. Information and Documents on Chemical Weapons: The U.S. Record
VIII. Legal Obligations
IX. Alleged development of biological agents in Panama
X. Conclusions and Recommendations
Appendices
Endnotes
San Jose Island
Site of extensive tests of chemical munitions from 1944 through 1947. Target areas likely to contain hundreds or thousands of unexploded munitions. See section IV-B.
Cerro Tigre
Storage area for bulk chemical agent beginning in 1930s and through at least 1956, in both open areas and igloo-type magazines.
Chiva Chiva
A knoll on the "Chiva Chiva trail" used as a test and disposal site for chemical munitions in 1950s.
Curundu
Site for storage and tests of toxic materials at "demonstration area" from 1952-1956. Reportedly site for Tropic Test Center's analysis and decontamination of VX nerve agent in 1960s tests.
Fort Clayton
Site of mustard gas tests on soldiers in 1941. Included 8 ft. x 12 ft. magazine for storage of chemical munitions in 1941. Also the headquarters for the Chemical Corps Tropical Test Team in 1956.
Rio Hato
Site near airstrip was storage area for chemical bombs and munitions carried by aircraft for San Jose Project, 1944-1947.
France Field
Included 30 ft. x 45 ft. magazine for storage of chemical bombs and munitions in 1941. Reportedly a burial site for chemical agents or munitions from World War II era.
Empire/Balboa West Range
Probable site for detonation tests of VX nerve agent mines (with or without live agent) in 1960s. All Tropic Test chemical tests were probably conducted at either 9.988 deg. x 6.408 deg. (Old Chemical Site, Balboa West), or 9.931 deg. x 6.516 deg. (NBC-12 site, Empire).
Iguana Island
Site for "chemical spray" tests during the San Jose Project, 1944-1947.
Fort Sherman
Mouth of Chagres River was site for storage and "rehabilitation" of four barges of chemical munitions in 1948, after evacuation of San Jose Island.
Pacific waters
Chemical munitions dumped from barges as close as 30 miles from San Jose Island in 1947-48. Also, sites for tests of chemical tests at sea, 1944-45.
Fort Gulick
Included 8 ft. x 12 ft. magazine for storage of chemical munitions in 1941.
Howard Field
Included 16 ft. x 20 ft. magazine for storage of chemical munitions in 1941.
Camp Paraiso
Included 8 ft. x 12 ft. magazine for storage of chemical munitions in 1941.
Corozal
Included two magazines for storage of chemical bombs and munitions in 1941, one 8 ft. x 12 ft., another 20 ft. x 30 ft. Also the headquarters for the Chemical Corps Tropical Test Team in the 1950s.
Albrook Field
Included 8 ft. x 12 ft. magazine for storage of chemical munitions in 1941.

Annex B:
San Jose Project Chemical
Munitions List and Estimates

Test number Number of rounds Kind of rounds Kind of agent
#6 8 1000-lb. bombs CK, CG
#14 62 M79 bombs AC
#16 96 1000-lb. bombs CG, CK
#17 1260 4.2" mortar CK
#18 596 4.2" mortar H
#19 400 105mm howitzer shell H
#20 180 M70 bombs H
#30 840 105mm howitzer shells (560) 4.2" mortars (280) H
#31 86 4.2" mortars HT
#50 240 4.2" mortar rounds CG
#51 1440 4.2" mortar rounds CK
#53 91 M79, M78, M70 bombs CK
#68 24 100 lb. bombs H
Tests where number of rounds is not known:
#2 ? 1000-lb. bombs CK, CG
#3 ? 500-lb. MKII bombs "persistent agent"
#4 ? 50-lb. LC A/C bombs ?
#5 ? ? H vapor
#8 ? M70 115-lb. bombs H
#9 "43 tons/sq. mile" M47A2 bombs H
#10 ? 4.2" mortars "persistent and non-persistent agent" [On second of two fuzz, "all rounds buried themselves before functioning"]
#11 ? Bangalore torpedo H
#11a ? M1A2 flame thrower AC
#12 ? 1000-lb. bombs Butane, CK, CG, "dropped in water"
#13 ? 1000-lb. bombs CG, CK
#15 ? 500-lb. M78 bombs CK
#17 "large scale field tests" 4.2" mortars CK, CG
#18 ? 4.2" mortars ?
#19 ? 105mm Howitzer shell H
#20 ? M70 115-lb. bombs H
#21 ? M1XA2 canister Ammonia
#22 ? ? "non-persistent gas"
#23i ? ? ?
#24 0 drops on arms H
#25 ? ? H
#27 ? ? H
#28 ? 50-lb. bombs "simulated agent"
#29 ? M2-2 flamethrower AC, CK, CG, NP, liquid fuel
#32 ? 4.2" mortar bombs methyl salicylate, other
#33 ? LC 50-lb. bombs HT
#34 ? LC 50-lb. bombs H
#35 0 LC 500-lb. bombs "simulated HTV"
#36 32 LC 500-lb. bombs HTV/MM
#44 ? "anti-tank jets" AC, CK
#45 ? LC 50-lb. bomb clusters Y3
#47 26 quick-opening clusters & 40 aimable clusters M74 bombs H
#48 ? M70 115-lb. bombs "simulated persistent agent"
[many fuzes malfunctioned]
#49 ? M79 1000-lb. bombs CG
#52 ? [360? "fired from 1, 2, and 12 twenty-four rail launchers, respectively"] 7.2" T21 rockets CG
#56 ? M78 500-lb. and M70 115-lb. bombs CG, CK
#58 ? 7.2" rockets CG
#60 ? [16 artillery squares] M70 115-lb. bombs H
#61 ? M79 1000-lb. bombs CG
#62 ? E27R1 clusters of 50 lb. bombs simulated agent
#64 ? ? [as defoliant] H
#65 ? M70 115-lb. bombs H
#67 ? 500-lb. bombs CG
#69 ? 500-lb. Mark II bombs Methyl salicylate
#70 ? ? ?
#71 ? 500-lb. Mark II bombs H
#72-#73 canceled
#76 ? 7.2" rockets ?
#77 0 "creeper" conventional fire?
#79 ? ? liquid H [no rounds?]
#80 0 spray H
#81 ? M47A2 100-lb. bombs H
Sources: Headquarters, San Jose Project, "General Order Number 11," 6 July 1944, report on San Jose Project; summary of tests #1-81, in National Archives; and Project Coordinating Staff, Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, "Interim summary on the performance of U.S. and British 4.2" mortars charged mustard on tropical wooded terrains," Report No. 6, 7 December 1944, in National Archives.
Key:
CK          Cyanogen Chloride
H            Mustard
HT          Thickened Mustard
AC          Hydrogen Cyanide
CG          Phosgene
Summary:
Number of tests in which number of rounds is known: 13
Number of tests in which information shows no rounds were fired: 5
Number of live chemical rounds fired in tests for which number is known: 4,397 (2859 were CK; 62 were AC; 1200 were H; 276 were CG)
Average number of live chemical rounds fired in tests for which number is known or for which no rounds were fired: 244.3
Estimated total number of tests: 128
Estimated total number of rounds fired, if average for 18 known tests holds for all tests: 31,267
Estimated "dud" rate for chemical rounds: 10%
Estimated number of chemical UXO, if above calculations hold true: 3,126

Annex C:
Map of San Jose Island

From I.M. Johnston Sargentia VIII: The Botany of San Jose Island (Boston: Arnold Arboretum, 1949).

Annex D

"The San Jose Project Moves"
Armed Forces Chemical Journal, January 1949
[Article not included in web edition of report]
Cover of issue.

Annex E

[Not included in web edition of report]
Office of the Secretary of Defense, Memorandum regarding San Jose Island, December 19, 1979 from Carter Presidential Library

Annex F

Photos of chemical weapons in Rio Hato and of human subjects from chemical weapons tests (1945) from San Jose Project files, National Archives
Click on the photos to see larger versions. Captions from original documents.

Bombs at Rio Hato
18 July 1944

Bomb dispersal yard,
Bombs, Gas, H, 115
Lb. M70
7 July 1944

[No caption]

EM crawling thru
mustard contaminated
area.
3 July 1944.

Burns on arm of
Observer.
17 April 1945

Burns on arm of
Observer.
17 April 1945

TEST TUBE REPUBLIC: Chemical Weapons Tests in Panama and U.S. Responsibility
I. Introduction
II. Brief History of Chemical Weapons Programs in Panama
III. Storage of Chemical Agents and Munitions
IV. Chemical Weapons Tests
V. Disposal of Chemical Agents and Munitions
VI. Potential Long-Term Dangers Posed by Abandoned Chemical Weapons
VII. Information and Documents on Chemical Weapons: The U.S. Record
VIII. Legal Obligations
IX. Alleged development of biological agents in Panama
X. Conclusions and Recommendations
Appendices
Endnotes

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Last updated August 6, 1998. NVWeb, Philadelphia USA i"Micrometeorological conditions over the sea in the neighborhood of San Jose Island, Republic of Panama"