Around Delaware

12/01/2004

Lawmakers want VX plan review

Delaware's congressional delegation and five New Jersey members of Congress have asked federal health officials to evaluate a revised plan for treating chemical weapon disposal waste at an industrial wastewater plant along the Delaware River.

Sen. Joe Biden and Sen. Tom Carper, both Democrats, and Republican Rep. Mike Castle joined in the request to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The federal agency earlier this year agreed to assess public and environmental health risks associated with a DuPont Co. plan to treat caustic wastewater from a VX nerve agent neutralization plant in Newport, Ind.

"We understand this additional work may postpone the release of your report, but believe that ensuring this review is thorough and complete outweighs the need for a speedy report," the delegation letter said

DuPont said in a statement Monday that it would support and assist the CDC in its review of the project at the company's Chambers Works Secure Environmental Treatment wastewater unit. Critics of DuPont's plan, including Delaware's environmental agency, said that DuPont's plan could release excessive amounts of phosphorus-based compounds to the Delaware River.

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control officials said little information was available on ecological effects from discharges of phosphonic acids to the environment.

E X T R A S R E L A T E D  A R T I C L E S 10/07/2004 • N.J. lawmaker presses Army on VX 09/18/2004 • New Jersey lawmaker challenges VX process 08/25/2004 • Tests find VX even after 'neutralization' 08/24/2004 • Army delays destruction of VX agent 07/14/2004 • Indiana VX test planned for today 05/25/2004 • DuPont can still process mustard gas 05/14/2004 • N.J. congressman asks for VX analysis 05/13/2004 • DuPont's VX waste plans blocked 05/08/2004 • DuPont tested VX waste disposal 05/07/2004 • Wilmington asks Army to keep VX out 05/04/2004 • Army hears no's on VX disposal 04/24/2004 • EPA will review nerve gas disposal plan 04/20/2004 • Validity of DuPont's tests challenged 04/17/2004 • Army rejects states' VX objections 04/16/2004 • DuPont disposal plan called premature 04/15/2004 • Fear for the health of a river • Hope for river after years of abuse 04/14/2004 • State joins global weapons debate • Nerve agent disposal a political dilemma 04/09/2004 • Governors oppose nerve agent plan 04/08/2004 • House panel seeks halt to VX plan 04/04/2004 • State worries over VX project 04/01/2004 • Delaware Senate opposes VX plan 03/31/2004 • Army disputes risk of DuPont VX plan 03/24/2004 • CDC says DuPont misstated VX study 03/20/2004 • Army, DuPont defend VX plan 01/17/2004 • Input due on nerve agent dumping M O R E  O N  T H E  W E B • Read the April 8 letter from Delaware and New Jersey governors to the acting Secretary of the Army.