At about noon on Saturday, April 24, 2004, workers at the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (TOCDF) safely destroyed the last of 632 VX nerve agent-filled bulk containers, that were previously stored at Deseret Chemical Depot (DCD).

While the milestone marked the successful destruction of bulk containers filled with VX agent, and demonstrates continuing progress in the overall TOCDF mission to safely eliminate the chemical weapons stockpile at DCD, 12 bulk containers filled with VX hydrolysate still await processing.

Hydrolysate is a byproduct of chemical neutralization processes tested at DCD’s Oquirrh Mountain Facility (OMF, formerly known as the Chemical Agent Munitions Disposal System (CAMDS).
Under terms of the international Chemical Weapons Convention Treaty, the depot cannot declare the VX Bulk Container Campaign completed until the dozen VX hydrolysate containers are processed.
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Last Saturday’s milestone represents an outstanding achievement by our workers, and shows the community the progress we’re making in the completion of our mission,” said Steve Frankiewicz, general manager of TOCDF systems contractor, EG&G Defense Materials, Inc.

TOCDF chemical weapons destruction operations now are targeting VX agent-filled 155-millimeter projectiles, with plans to destroy remaining VX spray tanks, land mines and the dozen-hydrolysate bulk containers, according to a press release.