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N.J. Lawmaker Opposes Plan to Ship VX Waste
U.S. Representative Rob Andrews (D-N.J.) said the Environmental Protection Agency’s acceptance of plans to ship wastewater from VX nerve agent neutralization to his state for disposal does not guarantee the effort will come to pass, Gannett News reported Sunday (see GSN, Feb. 27). “I think in the end the record will show that this is not the least costly way to dispose of the [hydrolysate] and there are significant public health concerns that will conclude that we should not do this,” he said. The waste would be transferred from the Newport Chemical Depot in Indiana to a DuPont plant in New Jersey for treatment. The treated wastewater would then be dumped into the Delaware River. To date, 11 percent of Newport’s 250,000-gallon VX stockpile has been processed. The waste is being stored in portable containers while the shipment plans is being reviewed. “I remain steadfastly opposed to this project. I am convinced that it never should and never will happen,” Andrews said. The Environmental Protection Agency, in a letter explaining its position, said it “will act in our oversight role to ensure that the treated effluent meets the permit limitations set to protect the environment.” “I think it's premature for the EPA to make that judgment," said Jane Nogaki, New Jersey Environmental Federation representative. “It begs the question of why transport a substance across miles and miles for disposal when a process for treating it on-site would be preferable” (Jeff Montgomery, Gannett News Service/Courier-Post, Feb. 26).
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