CAIS items include glass ampoules, vials and bottles that contain four ounces or less of chemical agents or industrial chemicals. The Army manufactured and distributed CAIS items to military installations around the country between 1928 and 1969 to train Soldiers in the safe identification, handling and decontamination of chemical agents. Many CAIS items were buried, an acceptable practice until the 1970s. The Army has been directed to destroy CAIS, assigning this mission to RCMD.
The Army expects to continue recovering CAIS items through ongoing environmental remediation activities. CAIS items containing diluted agent or industrial chemicals in glass ampoules and vials are packaged and processed as hazardous waste. Only CAIS bottles which contain concentrated mustard agent are treated using the SCANS.