Lawmakers fight to keep VX waste out of river
By Patricia L. Pastore/Tribune-Star
Two East Coast lawmakers are committed to keeping
the byproduct of neutralized nerve agent VX from being dumped into the Delaware
River, they said in a news release Tuesday.
U.S. Sen. Jon S. Corzine, D-N.J., and U.S. Rep. Robert E. Andrews, D-N.J.,
oppose the Army's preference for disposing of the byproduct, hydrolysate
into the river.
The Army has proposed sending the hydrolysate, created by destruction of
VX in Newport, to a DuPont treatment facility in New Jersey. DuPont would
treat it and dispose of it into the nearby river in a plan that has already
triggered widespread objection from environmental groups.
The Army is storing the byproduct temporarily on Newport grounds.
"In addition to providing many recreational and scenic benefits to New Jersey,
the Delaware River feeds aquifers which provide drinking water to millions
of New Jersey residents," the news release said. "A number of communities
and environmental groups have expressed deep concerns both over the safety
of transporting this chemical and the possible effects of its eventual disposal
in the river."
The neutralization process is expected to create
about 4 million gallons of the hydrolysate.
Environmental groups such as Green Delaware and The Delaware River Keepers
have pledged to stop DuPont from disposing of the treated hydrolysate in
the river.
"The Army has on-site storage tanks for the hydrolysate produced by VX
destruction," said Terry Arthur, Army spokeswoman.
"We are maintaining our focus here on destroying the VX," she said.
Before participating in the Army's plan to dispose of the hydrolysate in
its New Jersey plant, DuPont is awaiting assessment results by the Centers
for Disease Control. The Army is working with the CDC and DuPont to address
the latest treatment developed by DuPont. It has been tested to remove 95
to 99 percent of phosphonates from the hydrolysate, which would remove the
potential hazard.
Col. Jesse Barber, project manager for U.S. Army Chemical Materials
Agency's Alternative Technologies and Approaches, said the hydrolystate always
will be certified as non-detect for VX nerve agent.
"The level is well below the 80 parts per billion level established to be
protective of human health and environment," Barber said. "The certification
will take place at the on-site laboratory at Newport and be verified by an
on-site DuPont representative."
Patricia Pastore can be reached at
(812)231- 4271 or pat.pastore@tribstar.com.
Story created Jun 23, 2005 - 09:46:45 CDT.
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