The plan is identical to one citizens have proposed to Army officials for more than three years: destroy the VX and store the hydrolysate there until a decision is made on how to treat and dispose of the resulting waste.

One drop of VX the size of a BB can be lethal, the Army has said.

The 1,269 tons of VX are stored at the Newport Chemical Depot Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, about 30 miles north of Terre Haute.

Senior Army officials involved in the decision included: Claude Bolton, assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology; Gen. Benjamin Griffin, commanding general, Army Material Command; Mike Parker, director, Chemical Materials Agency; and Col. Jesse Barber, project manager for Alternative Technologies and Approaches.

"The result was a decision to proceed with final planning leading up to the start of agent operations," Brubaker said. "This decision moves the Army one step closer to our mission to destroy the chemical agent stockpile stored here."

The Army still has a few hoops to jump through before neutralization of the deadly nerve agent begins.

Workers at the destruction facility must successfully complete a 45-day pre-operational demonstration in order to obtain final approval to begin agent destruction.

"Additionally we will need to update current documentation for the National Environmental Policy Act to address the impacts of on-site storage of the caustic wastewater while we await a final decision on the waste product," Brubaker said.

"And, we are required to notify Congress 30 days in advance of beginning destruction operations," he added.

Parsons, the Army's contractor for the disposal facility, will chemically neutralize the VX by mixing it with sodium hydroxide and water, Brubaker said.

The resulting caustic wastewater product, hydrolysate, will be stored temporarily in containers on-site until final treatment and disposal is determined.

"Final site security lockdown is schedule for next week," Brubaker said, adding that the final, 45-day pre-operational demonstration will begin then.

Brubaker said there are sufficient containers on-site to store 200,000 gallons of hydrolysate, which would be the product of eight months of neutralization. He plans to obtain sufficient containers potentially to double the storage, he said. He anticipates destruction of the stockpile will be complete in 30 months.

Last year, the work force at the chemical agent destruction facility was certified as ready to put their knowledge and training into practice.

The 45-day pre-operational demonstration recently was added as a requirement, Brubaker said.

Brubaker, who has worked diligently to begin VX destruction, said he is pleased to announce that the end of a long process in near.

"We are expending $9 million a month, $360,000 a day, at the depot," Brubaker said. "It just makes sense to move forward. The work force has shown it is focused on destroying the agent safely."

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