Mustard Agent Injures Fisherman and His Chowder

Dover, Delaware A fisherman was hospitalized with second-degree burns when a UXO became lodged in his crew's fishing net. The round, apparently filled with mustard agent, also led to the eventual destruction of some 700 cases of chowder which were on board at the time. The man was treated at a Philadelphia hospital for burns and blisters, injuries consistent with mustard agent exposure.

Reports indicate that the crew of the fishing vessel the William Lee found what appeared to be an old ordnance canister earlier this month. They threw it back into the ocean 30 miles east of Barnegat Inlet. Despite the fishererman's injuries, it was not reported to the Department of Environmental Protection until a week later. The boat was then impounded in Atlantic City, New Jersey for inspection, but no hazardous materials were found.

Clams from that vessel had already been delivered to the Milford, Delaware division of Sea Watch International, a seafood processor based out of Easton, Maryland. More than 500 cases of clam chowder were impounded at the plant. Another 192 cases which had been sent to a New Hampshire warehouse were also collected, and the company agreed to voluntarily destroy the entire product lot to be safe.

The Sea Watch plant had previously been evacuated at least twice after the discovery of military explosive containing mustard agent. In 2004, OSHA fined the company $9,000 because of safety violations involving exposure to old military explosives.