Army and DuPont officials won't say when or even if shipments of wastewater from the destruction of VX nerve agent will begin, even though they are now armed with a study that all but ensures the plan will move forward.

While the federal Environmental Protection Agency has found that DuPont's treatment and discharge plan would not harm the ecology of the Delaware River, Army and DuPont officials remain cautious.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine has said he is disappointed by the EPA's report and remains concerned about the project.

The EPA's findings now must be incorporated into a final report being prepared by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report is expected in April.

"That's really the milestone," DuPont spokesman Anthony Farina said Thursday.

The CDC has already determined that other aspects of the plan are safe, including transportation of the 4 million gallons of wastewater -- compared to household drain cleaner -- to DuPont's Chambers Works plant in Salem County for final treatment.

Jeff Lindblad, a spokesman for the Army's Chemical Materials Agency, added that even if the Army awards a contract upon the release of the CDC report, it would still take some time for shipments of the wastewater, known as hydrolysate, to begin.

The Chemical Materials Agency, responsible for destruction of the nation's chemical weapons stockpile, ran into several problems last year with the neutralization of VX -- one of the most lethal substances ever made -- at its Newport chemical depot in west-central Indiana.

They included a leaky valve, a spill caused by a faulty gasket and higher-than-expected flammability of the material.

The problems have been corrected and the facility is fully operational, Lindblad said. About 10 percent of the more than 1,600-ton stockpile has been neutralized and is awaiting shipment.

It's unclear when DuPont will apply for a state Department of Environmental Protection discharge permit.

But resistance to the project remains strong with Corzine.

"New Jersey is no dumping ground," said Corzine spokesman Anthony Coley. "The Delaware River is to be treasured and protected, not mistreated and ignored."

Last year, acting Gov. Richard J. Codey took an aggressive stand against the project, saying he would block transportation of the wastewater over New Jersey's highways.

He also directed the DEP to issue a requirement for a draft permit that "precludes acceptance of the nerve agent waste unless and until the proposal is subject to rigorous and independent review."

DEP spokeswoman Elaine Makatura would not discuss any specifics of the permit.

"We've expressed our concerns, but we don't have a permit pending," she said.

The EPA essentially addressed the key concerns raised by Delaware and New Jersey environmental officials, specifically that phosphates and acids could trigger algae blooms harmful to aquatic life and that the wastewater could contain traces of VX.

The EPA believes DuPont has addressed these issues through the development of new technology.

DuPont, meanwhile, has been conducting an aggressive public outreach campaign throughout South Jersey and Delaware in an effort to dispel what it calls misperceptions and misinformation about the project.

Key to this is explaining to the public that DuPont will not accept any wastewater with detectable levels of VX. Col. Jesse Barber, the Army's project manager, has attended some of the meetings.

Farina said the company has reached out to more than 60 local governments, environmental groups and business groups.

"We've been doing the bulk of the work because, frankly, South Jersey is our community," Farina said.

But Ed Knorr, a Monroe resident who attended a recent presentation in his township, remains opposed to the plan.

"Our perspective of this issue has not changed," said Knorr, founder of the Green Action Alliance environmental group. "It is not safe for South Jersey residents, it is not safe for our highways, it is not safe for the Delaware River, and surely it is not a project that we want to have our children inherit for their future."

Reach Lawrence Hajna at (856) 486-2466 or lhajna@courierpostonline.com