By Patricia L. Pastore
The Tribune-Star

More than 500 people employed at the Newport Chemical Agency Disposal Facility will continue work through 2007 related to destruction of the nerve agent VX, officials confirmed this week.

The Army and Parsons, a private contractor, negotiated a modified contract on Jan. 10. The new agreement extends employment of the workers through December 2007, said Jeff Brubaker, Army site project manager. The previous contract would have expired this month.

“This will … result in continued economic benefits to the local community,” said Richard Rife, project manager for Parsons, the company hired to build and operate the nerve agent disposal

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Army accelerated the timetable for destruction of VX. Under that schedule, the destruction process was to begin in late 2003 and be completed in the spring of 2004.

However, the program was delayed and destruction of VX began last year.

As part of the new contract, Parsons and the Army reached an agreement on incentive packages for 170 plant workers, Brubaker and Rife said. The negotiations did not affect workers’ normal salaries, he said.

The package includes living allowances and incentives for employees who remain on the job through completion of the destruction process. It only affects workers involved in agent destruction and maintenance, Brubaker said.

Both he and Rife declined to disclose specific details of the incentive package.

In November, contract modifications between the Army and Parsons had employees threatening to walk off the job.

By midday Friday, Parsons had not received any complaints concerning the new incentive package, Rife said.

Patricia Pastore can be reached at (812) 231-4271 or pat.pastore@tribstar.com.