Dugway Sheep Kill
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Dugway Proving Ground is a U.S. Army facility that has been operating since 1942 approximately 85 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah. Dugway’s current mission statement is, “U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground executes efficient testing and support to enable our nation’s defenders to counter chemical, biological, radiological and explosives (CBRE) hazards.”
On March 17, 1968 Dugway conducted three tests. During one open-air test, a jet aircraft sprayed nerve agent VX. The chemical drifted outside Dugway’s boundaries to an area where sheep were grazing. A total of 6,249 sheep died as a result of this test. Of the total, 4,372 sheep were killed instantly and 1,877 sheep were disabled and later euthanized. An investigation found evidence that VX had caused the sheep kill and the Army paid the ranchers $376,685 (double the market value of the sheep) for their losses.