IDEM: Release of VX during process unlikely

By Patricia L. Pastore/Tribune-Star
April 8, 2004

As the Army prepares to destroy nerve agent VX at the Newport Chemical Depot in about two months, the greatest concern is the possible release of the deadly substance.

Any amount of release during the neutralization process is unlikely, say Indiana Department of Environmental Management authorities and Lt. Col. Joseph Marquart, Newport Chemical Depot commander.

"There won't be a release from this plant unless there is a catastrophic incident," such as an airplane crash into the facility, said Tom Linson, chief of the permits branch of IDEM's Office of Land Quality. IDEM will monitor the destruction process. "Chances of any incident are very small," Linson said.

Three separate monitoring systems are in place to protect the workers, the public and the environment, said Richard Rife, Parsons Technologies Inc. deputy project manager. "We'll be looking for agent before we put agent into the [destruction plant], to get background readings."

Rife said the sensitive monitors used in the disposal facility can detect VX at such low levels that the nerve agent would not be considered harmful to human or animal life.

Parsons is contracted by the Army to operate the facility built to destroy 1,269 tons of VX stored there for more than 35 years. Parsons also is responsible for disposing of hydrolysate, a byproduct of VX neutralization.

Although the state doesn't offer air quality permits for the nerve- agent destruction process, it does require a monitoring plant for risk assessment.

"The Army and Parsons must show there is no undue risk to the community because of the operations," Linson said. "They are required to do three things -- prove the destruction of the nerve agent to 0.999999 percent, develop an evacuation and response plan and do a risk assessment for the destruction process."

The Army and Parsons must monitor all the emissions from the destruction process.

A failsafe device built into the destruction facility captures all the air that surrounds the area and tests it, according to Rife and Richard Sisson, a Parsons destruction facility laboratory director.

Those emissions are run through a filtration device, which must show no VX is being released into the environment.

IDEM is overseeing what its members call the "six 9's" destruction -- referring to the 0.999999 figure -- and monitoring for air emissions, Linson said. He said the state Emergency Management Agency is responsible for the development of the Emergency Response Plan.

The different types of monitoring equipment measure different ways in which the presence of VX can be detected.

An Automatic Continuous Air Monitoring System samples air every four minutes and then analyzes the sample and displays the results.

If VX is detected, alarms would be sounded and the operation shut down, Sisson said. He said this method uses a process called gas chromatography, which separates compounds in the air samples to detect and report levels of chemical agent.

The detection of any amount of agent that exceeds allowable levels will set off remote, audible and visual alarms, Sisson said. He said the three layers of monitors on the depot protect workers inside the VX destruction facility and all others throughout the depot and community.

The MINICAMS monitors are so sensitive that they may sound an alarm when no nerve agent is present.

"Some things like paint fumes, substances with organic components, can cause them to go off," Rife said. He said once paint dries and the fumes are gone, the air monitor doesn't react. This type of alarm, when no VX is present, is called a false positive. Additional analysis would determine the substance that caused an alarm to sound, he said.

Citizens living in Newport and outlying communities have nothing to fear, he said.

"The nearest residents to Newport and those near the depot fence line are well-protected," Linson said. "Built-in safety factors are 10,000 times greater than at the lowest level, where the nerve agent could impact human health. We worked with the Army and determined what the criteria would be and what we deemed would be acceptable."

The depot area monitoring system continually samples the air for chemical agent by drawing air through special glass tubes and trapping any chemical with a special material.

"Sampling times vary from minutes to 12 hours, Marquart said. He said the tubes are collected and laboratory analysis reveals if VX is or is not present.

Air sampling devices also are in the air filtration system. It tests all the air sucked out of the VX treatment facility systems.

This air is sucked up a large stack, where activated charcoal is used to pull all contaminants out, Linson said. He said six separate charcoal filter banks are located inside the stack.

"There are six large filter banks with air space monitoring devices between each," he said. "The air monitors between the filter banks are designed to catch any agent release in the first filter bank. If detected, operations are shut down. The health protection level is very sensitive to human life. It was set so low that individuals are able to breath air as it comes out of the stack without harm. We took the most conservative approach. We are shooting for no VX emissions."

IDEM will be present throughout the VX destruction process.

Linson said he and his crew will be on hand during startup of VX destruction operations and afterward. IDEM representatives are on the site now and have an office in the facility, he said.

"Our team consists of 12 people," Linson said. "We all have badges and ID cards, so we can come and go whenever we deem necessary. After startup, if things continue to operate routinely we'll scale back to what we believe is appropriate throughout the operations."

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