Nerve agent disposal plan opposed
By LAWRENCE HAJNA
Courier-Post Staff
Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey on Wednesday fired another round at the Army's plan to ship neutralized nerve agent to South Jersey for final treatment and discharge into the Delaware River.
This time, Codey has sent a letter to the secretary of the Army stating that the New Jersey Turnpike will be off limits to the transportation of the waste.
In a news release, Codey said he has directed the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to coordinate with the state police and other state and local agencies to block the transportation of neutralized VX nerve agent from a depot in Newport, Ind.
"New Jersey's position has been reinforced by the recent announcement that on-site treatment of the VX nerve agent and its byproducts is technically practicable in Newport," Codey wrote to Francis J. Harvey.
He added that "this approach would avoid the risks inherent in transporting enormous volumes of waste thousands of miles, and would safeguard the precious resources of the Delaware River."
The letter does not specify what measures would be used to enforce a turnpike ban.
On Tuesday, two Burlington County lawmakers, Assemblyman Jack Conners, D-Pennsauken, and Assemblyman Herb Conaway, D-Delanco, issued a statement saying they opposed a plan to transfer the waste product from a rail line in Morrisville, Pa., to the turnpike through Burlington County.
"We oppose the shipment plan, and we will continue to do everything in our power to prevent it from coming through Burlington County," Conners said in a statement.The Army wants to ship between 2 million to 4 million gallons of the waste, known as hydrolysate, to DuPont's Secure Environmental Treatment Facility in Carneys Point, Salem County, for final treatment.
This week, U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine, D-Hoboken, and U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews, D-Haddon Heights, demanded a more detailed explanation from the Army about the leak of 30 gallons of nerve agent at Newport that resulted from a malfunctioning valve.
Officials with the Army's Chemical Materials Agency, responsible for eliminating the nation's Cold War stockpile of chemical weapons, could not be reached. The agency said it will not begin shipping any hydrolysate until it ensures the neutralization process is safe and effective.
Terry Arthur, spokeswoman for the Newport Chemical Depot, declined comment, saying she was not aware of Codey's letter. "We're very focused on here, the stockpile and destroying it," she said.
DuPont also says it will not accept any hydrolysate containing any detectable levels of VX, one of the most lethal substances ever made.
Reach Lawrence Hajna at (856) 486-2466 or lhajna@courierpostonline.com