Judge to rule on request to halt nerve agent waste shipments

Associated Press - July 19, 2007 3:15 AM ET

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A federal judge in Indianapolis is considering whether to block future shipments of the neutralized VX nerve agent waste from western Indiana to Texas for incineration.

The route would go through Memphis. The Army has agreed to suspend the shipments until US District Judge Larry McKinney decides whether to block the transfers.

The Chemical Weapons Working Group, the Sierra Club and other groups are seeking a preliminary injunction to block shipments of the liquid waste across some 900 miles of highways in the nation's midsection.

The environmental groups say it could pose a threat if a truck crashed or was hijacked by terrorists. They also say some batches of the waste contain more residual VX and a toxic byproduct than the Army maintains.

The Army contends the waste contains only a minuscule amount of VX and is no more dangerous than other hazardous wastes shipped each day across the nation.