Homeland Security Clarifies Objective Of Chemical Testing Near Newkirk

The Department of Homeland Security plans to conduct biological testing around February and July of 2018 in Newkirk. Chemicals will be released on parts of the Chilocco Indian Campus north of the city.

Several residents have expressed concerns over the last week, demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security.

Today, News 9 spoke with Lloyd Hough, the DHS program manager for this project.

“Those concerns are very valid and the department is very interested in hearing people raise those concerns so that we can make sure we consider them before we conduct this testing,” said Hough.

He said their goal is to protect the country and its citizens from terrorist attacks. In this experiment, they will create an aerosol spray made of three different materials. This is preparation for a biological attack.

The three materials include titanium dioxide, urea mixed with fluorescent brightener, and bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki.

“They’re non-toxic and non-hazardous,” said Hough. He described all these materials as being found in everyday commercial items.

According to Hough, the reason they are being used for testing is because the three particles work well with the detection systems that Homeland Security will be using. It will allow scientists to see how the aerosols penetrate into buildings.

However, residents near Chilocco are not convinced. A petition is being passed around to try and stop the chemical testing at Chilocco’s campus.