REP. ANDREWS CONTINUES FIGHT TO PREVENT DANGEROUS VX NERVE AGENT DUMPING IN THE DELAWARE RIVER

Since January 2004 I have been successful in stalling the Army’s plans to discharge treated VX nerve agent into our treasured Delaware River. VX nerve agent is one of the deadliest chemical weapons known to man; an amount the size of a pinhead can kill on contact. I have supported the Army’s efforts to comply with the International Chemical Weapons Convention and dispose of 1,200 tons of VX. In fact, September 11th has hastened our necessity to eliminate these stockpiles as terrorist targets. I am, however, fighting the Army’s current ill-advised plan to transport partially treated VX from the Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Indiana, 750 miles to the DuPont Chambers Works Treatment Facility in Deepwater, NJ for final processing and dispersal into the Delaware. Out of eight VX disposal methods identified and analyzed by the National Academy of Sciences, the Army’s chosen process ranks last. Since safer alternatives are available, we should not gamble with the water supply from which sixty percent of our region gets drinking water.

Last year I asked the nonpartisan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to look into the safety of the Army’s plan. In April, the CDC cited concerns that trace elements of the deadly VX nerve agent might be present in the treated VX byproduct planed for release into the Delaware. I have enlisted the support of Senator Corzine and we have jointly contacted the Secretary of the Army, Francis J. Harvey, regarding our concerns. In addition, I spearheaded the inclusion of a provision in the FY06 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1815), which calls for the Army not to proceed with any transportation of VX until the health and environmental concerns raised by the CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency are addressed. I am pleased to report that H.R. 1815 was passed with my provision on May 25, 2005. The Senate is poised to vote on their version of the bill (S. 1042) in September and my colleague, Senator Corzine, is working to get a similar provision in the Defense Appropriations bill to block dumping in the Delaware River.

The Army began the first step of the VX neutralization process on May 5, 2005 in Indiana. On June 10, 2005, thirty gallons of treated and still-dangerous VX were spilled at that facility. The Army reported another spill on July 13, 2005. Furthermore, the caustic hydrolysate chemical produced from VX treatment, which the Army would like to release in the Delaware, has been found to be three times more flammable than we were originally told. Recent tests have revealed its flash point to be as low as sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. Such findings and the frequency of accidents illustrates that these deadly chemicals are entirely too dangerous to move from one place to another and should be treated and disposed onsite in Indiana to limit risk to the public. I will continue fighting for the safety of New Jersey’s citizens and the purity of our environment.

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