Destruction of the deadly VX nerve agent is scheduled to resume today at the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Newport.

U.S. Army officials announced the startup after a demonstration of safe operations Tuesday and Wednesday.

A neutralization process that mixes VX with hot sodium hydroxide and water began May 5. The process was stopped June 10 when about 30 gallons of VX byproduct hydrolysate leaked into a sealed, contained area at the site.

Before operations resumed, an analysis of the hydrolysate revealed the byproduct is more flammable than previous lab tests had showed, with a flashpoint of between 68 and 88 degrees, according to the Army.

A flashpoint is the lowest temperature at which the vapor of a combustible can be made to ignite.

"Disposal operations will begin again in a slow and deliberate manner. We will begin slowly, while conducting a thorough analysis of laboratory data and facility performance," said Jeff Brubaker, the Army's site project manager.

Under current environmental and transportation standards, the wastewater would be classified as flammable. However, Brubaker said, because of the 70 to 80 percent water content of the solution, it is unlikely that it would sustain a fire.

Engineers believe the cause of increased flammability is the presence of a chemical known as diisopropylamine, called DIPA, Brubaker said.

"Testing on samples collected during initial operations indicates that the amount of DIPA produced during the neutralization process may be reduced by lowering the reactor temperature after the VX sodium hydroxide and water have mixed for about an hour," Brubaker said.

"The reaction will then continue at the reduced temperature while the hydrolysate is being analyzed and VX destruction is verified," Brubaker said.

During restart, operators will first process the agent that was left in holding tanks in June. After these batches are run, the neutralization process will pause again for additional extensive testing of the wastewater resulting from the neutralization process.

"This data will help the Newport team verify that modifications to the neutralization process did reduce the production of DIPA, and therefore reduced the flammability factor," Brubaker said.

Engineers have determined the spill was caused by deteriorated diaphragm material located in valves on the reactors. While the neutralization process was stopped, those diaphragms were replaced with new diaphragms made of more resistant material.

During restart, the Newport team will continue to evaluate the facility modifications, including frequent inspection of the new diaphragms to ensure optimal system performance, according to the Army.

The Army anticipates the agent destruction facility will undergo further pauses to evaluate the effectiveness of modifications and ensure optimum safe performance of the Newport facility.

The Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility is 25 miles north of Maple Avenue. The facility has 1,269 containers of VX, with each container holding about 180 gallons of the nerve agent.

Tribune-Star staff report

Story created Aug 26, 2005 09:30:14 CDT.