Army Ready to Restart CW Disposal at Newport

Chemical weapons disposal is scheduled to resume today at the U.S. Army’s Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Indiana, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Aug. 11).

Tests on Tuesday and Wednesday indicated it was safe to start work, according to the Army. 

“Disposal operations will begin again in a slow and deliberate manner,” said Army project manager Jeff Brubaker.

Work stopped June 10 following a leak of 30 gallons of wastewater created by the neutralization process. Diaphragms on the neutralization reactor have been replaced to prevent another spill.

Officials also discovered the flashpoint of hydrolysate wastewater is 68 to 88 degrees, rather than more than 200 degrees as previously believed.

Workers will initially dispose of VX nerve agent that remained in holding tanks when work stopped, the briefly suspend neutralization again for testing to ensure the flashpoint issue has been resolved, AP reported (Associated Press, Aug. 26).

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