Army to begin destroying deadly nerve agent at Indiana chemical depot

February 16, 2005, 9:36 AM EST

NEWPORT, Ind. (AP) _ The Army will begin this spring destroying a deadly nerve agent that was stockpiled at a chemical depot, an official said.

Jeff Brubaker, government site project manager at the Newport Chemical Depot, said Tuesday that he expects the 1,269 tons of VX to be destroyed in 2 1/2 years.

Senior Army officials gave their approval Monday, Brubaker said.

VX is a liquid with the consistency of mineral oil that can kill a healthy adult male with a single pinpoint droplet.

The VX neutralization at the depot is expected to create 4 million gallons of a chemical byproduct called hydrolysate that requires additional treatment before disposal. The byproduct will be stored at the depot until officials decide how to dispose of it, Brubaker said.

The Army wants to transport the hydrolysate _ which has been compared to liquid drain cleaner _ to a DuPont plant in Deepwater, N.J. for treatment and disposal in the Delaware River. The plan has sparked opposition in New Jersey and Delaware.