I-68 may
become route for nerve warfare leftovers
James Rada
Times-News Staffwriter
CUMBERLAND — Beginning this summer, tanker trailers could be transporting the breakdown products from a nerve agent used in chemical warfare through Western Maryland.
If the route is approved, one to two tanker trucks a day for a year could take caustic wastewater from the Newport (Ind.) Chemical Depot through Garrett and Allegany counties to DuPont’s secure environmental treatment facility in Delaware. The possible Western Maryland route would enter Maryland by Interstate 68 at the Garrett County/West Virginia line, travel east along the highway to Cumberland and then go north to Pennsylvania along U.S. Route 220.
“No transportation route for the waste stream has been determined yet. We are currently conducting a transportation risk assessment to evaluate the safest, possible route for transporting the Newport waste stream,” said Anthony Ferrina with DuPont.
Newport Chemical Depot is neutralizing 1,200 tons of VX nerve agent as part of the U.S. Army’s efforts to improve homeland security by eliminating its chemical weapon stockpiles. The neutralization process causes a chemical reaction with hydrolysate to destroy the VX nerve agent.
“The nerve agent is destroyed in Newport, Ind. What’s left over needs treatment,” said Ferrina.
He explained that the wastewater not only has no nerve agent, but it is nonflammable and cannot be reconstituted back to VX nerve agent.
“This will be less hazardous than many of the chemicals that are transported on the roads now,” said Terry Arthur with Newport Chemical Depot. She also pointed out that all the regulations for transporting hazardous materials will be followed.
Rich McIntire with the Maryland Department of the Environment said that his department had received no official word about the caustic wastewater being transported through Maryland.
“As long as they are just passing through and as long as they’re meeting the federal regulations, they don’t have to notify us,” said McIntire.
There are multiple routes and methods of transportation being considered by DuPont as a way to get 2 million to 4 million gallons of the wastewater to its final destination.
“It’s really premature to talk about this because a decision hasn’t been made,” said Arthur.
VX nerve agent is an oily liquid that attacks the nervous system through skin contact and causes death in just a few minutes. Once the nerve agent is neutralized, it is the wastewater, not the agent, that needs to be treated.
“The VX hydrolysate is a caustic wastewater that contains sodium hydroxide. That’s because that chemical is being used to neutralize the VX,” said Arthur.
Public outcry in Ohio scrapped an earlier attempt to transport the agent.
County Administrator Vance Ishler said the county hadn’t been told of the possible transport.
“We have nuclear missiles coming through the county now and there’s no problem. It’s the same thing. It’s no big deal as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
He also said that spent radioactive uranium rods are transported through the area.
“Allowing our military to be mobilized and prepared is one of the main uses the interstate highway system was designed for decades ago,” said Ishler.
DuPont will have a dedicated fleet of tanker trucks and drivers doing the transportation. The company has a problem-free record of transporting similar liquids from Aberdeen Proving Grounds to the Delaware plant using 12 trucks a day, five days a week until 7 million gallons of wastewater were moved.
The final transportation and safety study by DuPont is expected to be completed at the beginning of March.
James Rada may be contacted at jrada@times-news.com.