Change in Nerve Agent Plans

DEEPWATER, NJ-August 25, 2004 — The U.S. Army is delaying plans to destroy nearly 1,300 tons of the deadly nerve agent VX after local safety came into question.

Those plans have created big controversy here in the Delaware Valley because the Army wants to treat the neutralized waste at the DuPont Plant in Deepwater, New Jersey, then dump the wastewater into the Delaware River.'

The governors of both New Jersey and Delaware are against the plan.

Right now, the deadly nerve agent is being stored at a plant in Indiana.

The Army is pushing back its plans to destroy the VX until later this year after a test run raised nearly 200-operational and safety issues.

DuPont and the Army face an uphill battle in the court of public opinion. Last summer the Army failed to have the VX waste treated in Ohio. Officials there rejected the idea. Today the head of New Jersey's DEP signaled he had a lot of questions.

John Rawlins, Channel 6 Action News.