Passing that inspection was a major hurdle to starting the work to chemically neutralize the 1,269 tons of VX nerve agent stored at the Newport Chemical Depot.

The report from the Army Materiel Command had only minor recommendations for the Newport complex. Crews addressed nearly 200 operational and safety-related issues that an inspection team found during tests in July at the complex, said Jeff Brubaker, the Army's site project manager.

Brubaker said the depot about 30 miles north of Terre Haute went on "lockdown" beginning Sept. 23 to demonstrate security provisions to the inspection team.

"Security and surety activities are in full swing," he said in a statement. "This gives us several weeks to test our procedures and resolve any issues before we begin to neutralize the stockpile."

Last month, Brubaker said he expected neutralization to begin later this year. A message seeking comment was left today for a depot spokeswoman.

The Army hired contractor Parsons Technology Inc. to design, build and operate the nerve agent neutralization facility that will destroy the VX, which has been stockpiled at Newport since it was manufactured in the 1960s.

The byproduct of VX neutralization is expected to be 4 million gallons of a caustic chemical called hydrolysate that requires further treatment before disposal.

The Army wants to transport the hydrolysate to a DuPont Inc. plant in New Jersey for treatment and disposal in the Delaware River -- a plan that has sparked opposition in New Jersey and Delaware.

The Army is waiting for a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its review of the Army's plan to haul the hazardous waste from Newport to New Jersey for final treatment and disposal.

The Army can store some of the hydrolysate on site in special containers until an alternative treatment is selected by the Army.