VX destruction could begin soon

[hippiechick]

http://www.indystar.com/articles/2/234859-6202-102.html

By Richard D. Walton
[e-mail]
April 6, 2005


The U.S. Department of Defense has given final approval to the destruction of more than 250,000 gallons of VX nerve agent stored at the Army's Newport Chemical Depot, ending a decades-long controversy over how best to dispose of the deadly substance.

Word from the Pentagon that the process called neutralization could begin as early as May was hailed as a victory for residents of the west-central Indiana town who have lived with the threat that an accident or terrorist attack could touch off an environmental catastrophe.

A Newport spokeswoman said the process of eliminating the agent will be done one container at a time and take about 30 months.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz signed the letter informing Congress of the intent to begin neutralization. All other required steps have been cleared. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Citizens' Advisory Commission and the County Commissioners from the Newport area have OK'd the plan.

Tentative plans call for transporting the neutralized substance to a secure environmental treatment facility in New Jersey. However, the plan is under review by health and environmental authorities to ensure the caustic by-product would pose no risk there.

[lenidog]

1. They have already started to do it down in Alabama

and have been doing it for years at Johnston Atoll till the costs and security was just too much to continue with. I actually knew a man who worked as a civilain contract on Johnston Atoll for the government disposing chemical weapons. He spent six month out of a year on that rock and then got six months off and got paid a 150,000 dollars a year.

[hippiechick]

2. I assume he was paid so well because of the health hazards ?

Are there residual risks in addition to the 'oops factor' ??

[lenidog]

3. That and the fact that Johnston Atoll is a barren coral rock

that sits 20 feet above sea level and the nearest city of a good size is Honolulu which is 1,300 hudred kliks south of where he was. Basically he went there and sat for six months disposing of the weapons then he got to go home or any other place he wanted for free. He said that he would go stir crazy on that island because you didn't leave unless there was a family emergency and there was nothing to do except read, watch TV, fish, surf the net or swim.

[kliljedahl]

4. You mean

they finally found the stockpiles of WMDs? :sarcasm:


http://www.kliljedahl.net

[hippiechick]

5. Yepper - right here in Indiana !

Where the uneducated, undemocratic, religious extremists roam - just like Bush said !!!

:P

[salin]

6. THat's been known for years... think: Jefferson Proving Grounds...

so toxic they can't even get in there to clean it up.

[kliljedahl]

7. I knew that

Did you miss the dripping sarcasm thingy after my post? The Onion did a great piece a few months ago about Hans Blix finding stockpiles of nuclear missiles in South Dakota. Satire is fun, that's why I love the Daily Show.


http://www.kliljedahl.net

Oh yeah, don't forget Poland.

[salin]

8. I took a drive last weekend

down to the Ohio River - when charting paths, saw the big vast (wasteland) on the map that are the proving grounds. Caught the sarcasm - just saw the oppty to remind folks of the oft ignored situation that is just a horrendous disaster...

[Jdemsindiana]

9. Its about time

That VX is a real nightmare

[salin]

10. Welcome to DU, Jdemsindiana

far too many people live near these dangers, and have very little (if any) awareness about the danger.

[DrGonzoLives]

11. Oh, they're aware of it

My mom teaches near Rockville, not exactly next door, but n aerosol range of it. Everyone knows it's there, knows it will kill you, it's that they don't have any emergency plan other than hope it doesn't get on you.