VX Nerve Gas Disposal at Newport, Ind., to Begin in Fall

Neutralization of the nerve agent VX stored at the Army's Newport, Ind., depot once set to begin in August is now not likely to start until October or November (C&EN, April 12, page 28). This setback is due to delays in meeting operational and safety recommendations of the Commissioning Review Board. Destruction of the 1,269 tons of stored agent is also expected to take longer than anticipated because 54% of the material contains a stabilizer, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), or a combination of stabilizers, DCC and diisopropylcarbodiimide. The presence of DCC translates to a longer than anticipated neutralization process to meet the Army's "non-detect" level of 20 ppb or less of VX in the neutralized product. The longer time required means the Newport facility will not meet the Chemical Weapons Convention's 2007 destruction deadline. But under the treaty, the U.S. can ask for a five-year extension. Neutralization of the VX is expected to produce about 4 million gal of hydrolysate, which the Army plans to ship to a New Jersey commercial hazardous waste treatment plant operated by DuPont. Opposition to this plan may force the Army to build a treatment plant on-site.