Army, contractor pursuing tank farm proposals

By Patricia L. Pastore/Tribune-Star

November 1, 2003

Tanks built to hold hydrolysate, the byproduct of nerve agent VX neutralization, may play a vital role in a plan to destroy the deadly chemical munition ahead of the 2007 deadline mandated by the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Proposals for an on-site tank farm at Newport were received Oct. 24, said Ginger Corado, a spokeswoman for Parsons Technology, Inc.

The Army contracted Parsons to build and run the Newport Chemical Demilitarization Facility to destroy the deadly nerve agent VX.

"We have received responses from qualified vendors," she said. "We will now evaluate the information received, negotiate and select the best value for Parsons and for the government. Parsons is technically using standard analysis and evaluation procedures to determine the best value. Best value includes technical expertise and experience as well as commercial criteria as well as price."

If Parsons and the Army decide to build a tank farm, Parsons expects to award a contract by the end of the year, Corado said Friday.

"The tank farm is a prudent contingency measure that could provide storage of the hydrolysate if, for any reason, we are unable to proceed with hydrolysate treatment," she said.

This month's accelerated program's start date to begin neutralization of more than 1,200 tons of nerve agent was delayed for safety and environmental issues.

The Army earlier this month dropped plans to treat the VX hydrolysate at Perma-Fix of Dayton, Ohio, a commercial hazardous waste treatment plant, largely because of opposition from Ohio citizens and Jefferson County, Ohio commissioners. Commissioners there refused to issue a permit allowing Perma-Fix to destroy the VX byproduct.

The tank farm is an alternative that allows the Army and Parsons to explore options for the caustic hydrolysate. Hydrolysate must be further treated before disposal in a wastewater treatment plant.

The procurement process for tanks began about two months ago with a survey to identify vendors who meet the qualifications Parsons requires.

The chemical demilitarization facility at the Newport Chemical Depot only has storage for 30,000 of the more than 900,000 gallons of VX hydrolysate produced when the estimated 1,200 tons of the liquid VX is destroyed. The current VX hydrolysate storage can handle "between two and three weeks" of the nerve agent byproduct with the planned and gradual startup, said Jeff Brubaker, government site project manager.

If a decision is made to neutralize and store without regard to the destination for the hydrolysate, the destruction of VX might begin in about two months.

"We still are pressing toward a January start date for neutralization, while we continue to work on the challenge with hydrolysate disposal," Brubaker said. " ... We will begin neutralization operations only when we are certain that we can do so safely, even if that means moving the date. Safety is our priority, and we will not sacrifice safety for the sake of schedule or cost."

The Army and Parsons need more than storage tanks before VX hydrolysate can be stored on site.

Before building a tank farm, a permit must be obtained from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Permit modification is required to extend storage beyond 90 days for the tanks already in place in the neutralization facility.

Modification of the permit already in place is the subject the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility staff will discuss at a 6 p.m. meeting Nov. 13 at the Newport Lions Club, said Terry Arthur, Army spokeswoman.

"We cannot submit a request for a permit for a tank farm until a decision has been made and the selected contractor has submitted a design that meets the requirements specified in the Indiana Code," she said. "We expect to make a path-forward decision in November. The tank farm is a contingency measure we are considering as backup in the event that we cannot for any reason ship the hydrolysate."