Army may neutralize VX at greater rate, cutting waste

By Patricia L. Pastore/Tribune-Star
Story created Apr 11, 2005

A report generated by Parsons, the Army's contractor who operates the VX destruction facility at Newport, gave the Army the nod to neutralize twice as much VX per reactor load as originally planned.

If the Army neutralizes at the greater rate, it would reduce the VX byproduct of hydrolysate by at least a million gallons. Tentative plans are to store the byproduct on-site at Newport.

The Army made no immediate change in its estimation of 30 months for VX destruction.

Alion, an analytical laboratory based in Chicago, compiled and analyzed the data on the neutralization process.

The Army has demonstrated it can destroy 16 percent, or double the planned amount, of VX nerve agent with either or both stabilizers when mixed with sodium hydroxide using heat as a catalyst. The process clears the mixture for VX and EA2192 (a product with nerve-agent properties), said Col. Jesse L. Barber, project manager for Alternative Technologies and Approaches.

"Hydrolysate made for all Newport Chemical Destruction Facility lots was shown to clear for VX and EA2192 at agent loading of 8 percent and 16 percent," the report read.

During the startup phase, nerve-agent processing will begin at the lower concentration and will be adjusted slowly until the time/temperature parameters are optimized, all the while ensuring that the Newport Chemical Disposal Facility can process the agent without adverse effect on workers, the environment or the public, Barber said.

The first 10-ton containers will be processed slowly and deliberately, with scheduled and possibly unscheduled "hold" points, he said.

Hold points are planned delays to conduct reviews and analyses of plant status or air before resuming operations.

After the startup phase, Barber plans to increase the VX by weight load to 16 percent, he said.

By increasing the agent load, the total amount of VX hydrolysate produced during the entire 30-month operation can be reduced by more than 1 million gallons, Barber said.

"At 8 percent, we'd create about 4 million gallons of hydrolysate," he said. "Using 16 percent, we will reduce the amount of hydrolysate by 21/2 to 3 million gallons."

Safety remains a priority, Barber said.

"I won't do it unless it's safe for our employees, safe for the people who live in the community and safe for the environment," he has said.

Barber just announced Wednesday that VX destruction will begin at the Newport facility between May 5 and May 15. He is happy to share more good news with the people who have lived with VX in their back yards for more than 30 years, he said Friday.

"New technology will allow the 1,269 ton containers currently holding VX to be cleaned after the VX is drained and sent directly to a recycler's smelter to be reused," Barber said.

He said that after the VX is drained, the carbon steel containers are rinsed three times, hot-air dried, then placed into a ton container steam decontamination unit for further cleansing.

"After it leaves the steam decontamination unit, it can be shipped directly to a waste recycler," Barber said. "This will reduce the timeline significantly."

Jeff Lindblad, spokesman for the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency, believes the 30-month timeline for total destruction of the Newport stockpile is valid, he said.

VX, a Cold War chemical munition, was manufactured at the depot in the 1960s. One drop of the straw-colored liquid can kill an adult.

After Sept. 11, 2001, the Army under operation Speedy Neut implemented plans to destroy the stockpile as quickly as possible.

Barber said the hydrolysate resulting from the neutralization will be stored on-site in special intermodal containers until it is determined where it will be further treated.

Some perceive VX to be a security threat, others do not.

Clyde Cutrel of Newport worked at the Chemical Depot.

"I was never afraid of it," he has said. "I was around it a lot and nobody ever got hurt."

The nerve agent will be destroyed according to the terms of the International Chemical Weapons Convention Treaty. An inspection team from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will be on-site during the VX destruction operations to confirm elimination of the chemical agent.

U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., has said destroying VX will remove one of the most dangerous potential terror targets in Indiana.

Vermillion County Commissioner Tim Wilson wants the VX gone, too, and hopes the Army will turn over the plant and the 8,000-acre site to the county for economic development, he has said.

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