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Teams work to destroy the 1,200 tons of VX nerve agent, but now teams are scouring the surrounding land for any buried weapons or hazardous materials.
Army officials want to be sure they know what's on the land before they turn it over to Vermillion County in the next few years, possibly for an industrial park.
A Base Realignment and Closing Commission report earlier this year mentions the possibility VX munitions may be buried at Newport. However, Newport's chief engineer says it's unlikely they'll find any VX on the more than 7,000 acre facility.
The chemical weapons working group tells I-Team 8, "The Army has a tendency
to downplay anything that would reflect badly on them as an institution."
I-Team 8 has documented for years problems of credibility for the Army
in its handling of the Indiana VX destruction. In January, workers found
VX in a small tank. Just one drop can kill you in minutes and there have
been spills during the destruction process. For now, the contractor is looking at old records and talking to former
employees trying to find out if and where any waste was was buried. A former Newport employee told I-Team 8 that neutralized VX used to be
pumped into the ground and he knows of four burial sites with plastic explosives.
Meanwhile, the Army has listed three Indiana sites where chemical warfare
may be buried including Newport, Camp Atterbury and Crane.