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VX Waste Spills at Newport Chemical Depot
Approximately 300 gallons of wastewater produced during the destruction of VX nerve agent spilled yesterday at the U.S. Army’s Newport Chemical Depot in Indiana, the Indianapolis Star reported (see GSN, Feb. 28). This was the fourth spill since neutralization began in May 2005, according to the Star. No one was injured in the incident. Depot spokeswoman Terry Arthur said there was no live agent in the wastewater. The leak took place around 2:30 p.m. and was contained in a VX storage area where two employees in protective suits were working. “The good news is, no one was injured, there was no danger to workers or the public, and the response was very quick,” Arthur said. Arthur said work at the facility will stop until personnel clean the waste and determine the cause of the spill. The depot has stored roughly 250,000 gallons of VX since production of the nerve agent stopped in 1969. The disposal facility to date has eliminated 33,766 gallons. There were spills in June, July and October, with the largest of 500 gallons occurring on Oct. 28. That leak was blamed on faulty gaskets, according to the Star. Work was also stopped after the June and July spills after workers realized the waste produce was more flammable that originally anticipated. Work at the facility is expected to be finished by November of next year, the Star reported (Tammy Webber, Indianapolis Star, March 15).
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