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Newport CW Destruction to Resume this Week
Destruction of VX nerve agent is expected to resume this week following a review of the first five weeks of operations at the U.S. Army’s Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Indiana, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, June 13). The scheduled break occurred shortly after 30 gallons of VX and wastewater spilled at the site. Depot management met with workers while disposal was stopped to hear suggestions on how to prevent future spills and improve the destruction process. “The supervisors answered questions and provided information to the workers, and the workers offered suggestions to management,” said Army spokesman Rick Rife. “Those suggestions are being evaluated and some may be implemented.” Rife added that precautions have been taken to prevent additional spills. He said a faulty valve is suspected to have caused the recent leak. “The valves were removed and reassembled,” Rife said. “The valves themselves were not replaced, just the gaskets/diaphragms” (Associated Press/Philadelphia Inquirer, June 20). Meanwhile, workers at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Oregon have destroyed 1,530 sarin-filled M55 rockets since destruction resumed on June 9, according to the Hermiston Herald (see GSN, June 10). “Things are going pretty well,” said Adam Russell, spokesman for contractor Washington Group International. “(On Tuesday), we processed 436 rockets. That is the fourth best record day and the fifth time we processed over 400 rockets in a day” (Karen Hutchinson-Talaski, Hermiston Herald, June 17).
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