Published: August 12, 2008 12:08 am         

Last of VX nerve agent eliminated at Newport

The Newport Chemical Depot’s final barrel of VX that was eliminated this week was treated no differently than the 1,689 steel containers before it.

“Number 1,690 was nothing special,” said the Army’s site project manager, Jeff Brubaker, although he admitted it was “a tremendous feeling two weeks ago when we moved the container from the storage area, and it was great last week when we drained it into the holding tanks.”

On Aug. 8, personnel at the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility confirmed the last ton container of VX had been successfully neutralized, marking the completion of stockpile elimination at the Newport Chemical Depot.

For nearly 40 years, workers at the facility have safely stored 1,269 tons of the Cold War-era liquid chemical agent VX in the steel containers.

Hydrolysate, the resulting byproduct of the neutralization process, is sent to Veolia Environmental Services in Port Arthur, Texas for final disposal. The Army receives Chemical Weapons Convention treaty credit for chemical destruction when the hydrolysate is transferred from shipping containers at Veolia.

“This day marks a tremendous milestone for the workers at Newport, the citizens of Indiana and the rest of the world,” said U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency Director Conrad Whyne. “Newport's stockpile has been safely eliminated, which brings the United States one step closer to fulfilling the commitment of destroying our nations’ chemical weapons.”

The agent was drained from a steel container using a chemical agent transfer system, or CHATS. NECDF used a neutralization process to destroy the VX. This process involved mixing the VX with heated sodium hydroxide and water in a reactor.

“Teamwork and dedication are at the core of each person on-site,” NECD Commander Lt. Col. William Hibner said. “I am proud and honored to be a part of a work force whose mission to eliminate the Newport stockpile was completed safely and successfully.”

Brubaker said, “We have always stressed our focus and commitment to safety. Employees at Newport operated with care and concern for themselves, local communities and the environment, which has led us to our milestone today.”

Neutralization operations at NECDF began May 5, 2005. The site will now enter a closure phase to dismantle buildings and equipment, as well as dispose of various wastes related to the NECDF project. These operations are expected to take 18 to 24 months, members of the team said.

As of late May, Newport’s VX destruction project had cost $1.2 billion, including the cost of the two large buildings where the VX is neutralized by being heated in chemical reactors.

The public is welcome to attend a ceremony at 10 a.m. Oct. 25 to commemorate the end of agent operations. Distinguished guests will speak in the auditorium of the South Vermillion High School in Clinton, followed by a short reception in the school cafeteria.

Deb Kelly can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or deb.kelly@tribstar.com.