Work will begin at Newport Chemical Depot this week to decontaminate eight tanks that once stored the Nerve Agent VX.

To be destroyed, the tanks must first be cut in half, and then be decontaminated using electrical resistance heating.

The tanks will be wrapped in the heaters, that use no flame, then covered with insulation.

The tanks are then heated over a 7-hour period to 1,000 degrees, to rid the tank walls of any chemical agent left behind.

The tanks will be cut and recycled once decontaminated.

The process is expected to wrap up by spring 2006.