U.S. Army Blocked From Shipping CW Disposal Waste

A defense spending bill signed Wednesday by President George W. Bush prohibits the U.S. Army from dumping waste produced by VX nerve agent disposal in the Delaware River until the plan can be studied in greater detail, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, July 28).

The Army has planned to ship hydrolysate waste from the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Indiana to a DuPont plant in New Jersey.  DuPont would process the waste and deposit it in the river.

The law requires the Government Accountability Office to review studies of the plan before shipments can begin, AP reported.  That means dumping would likely not begin before February.

The Army has faced strong criticism from environmentalists and officials in Delaware and New Jersey, who have pledged court and legislative action if necessary to block waste shipments.

“I do not think there is any answer that can be given to satisfy our concerns,” U.S. Representative Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) said yesterday (Associated Press/phillyBurbs.com, Oct. 19).

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