Workers at the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (TOCDF) completed destruction of 18 VX nerve agent-filled cylinders last month, which had been stored for years at Dugway Proving Ground to supply agent testing needs.

The stainless steel cylinders, approved for shipping by the U.S. Department of Transportation, each contained about two gallons of chemical agent. Each cylinder was over-packed twice, first in another steel container with handles to facilitate lifting, then those containers rested in silver-painted wooden boxes. The boxes of cylinders were transported by a U.S. Army helicopter, whose crew made four trips between Dugway and Deseret Chemical Depot (DCD) over the course of two days, Feb. 3 and 4.

Under high security, the cargo loads were flown in to DCD, transferred to a truck, then driven to the TOCDF to be processed.

EG&G VX Test Cylinders Project Manager Kelvin Brito reported the disposal operations were performed safely and smoothly, except additional time was needed to break open rusted caps on the agent-bearing cylinders.

Each cylinder was opened, then agent samples were taken and analyzed as required by state of Utah regulatory officials. Ultimately, the agent was destroyed and the metal containers decontaminated in the TOCDF Metal Parts Furnace.