Article published in the January 22, 2000 edition of the Coastal Bend Sun
(Letter to The Caller-Times follows  the article)

Should This City Be the Waste Dump
for Chemical Weapons Residue?
Hazardous effects of chemical weapons derivative
have not been fully disclosed -

                                                                by Bill Alling

I am concerned that all of the facts surrounding the shipment and local processing and disposal of a so called harmless chemical weapons derivative, which the Army and their local contractor have termed harmless wastewater or saltwater, has been hidden and not fully disclosed.  At issue is the ultimate disposal of VX Hydrolysate right here in Corpus Christi - downwind from the city and within breathing distance of residential subdivisions and active farm land.  The people have a right to know all the facts surrounding this experimental project for which they are an unwitting participant.  The problem is further deepened by the absurd remarks by the Mayor and the City Manager i.e., "he feels at ease with the project," "not worried" and "they meet all the licensure requirements."  The issues are immediate and potentially very serious to some of our citizens and to the community as a whole.

A few of the facts concerning this harmless project include: the chemical VX is one of the most toxic agents and is designed to quickly kill those that come in contact with it.  The chemical EA-2192, an interim by product of the neutralization reaction, is a dangerous nerve toxin. The SCWO system (this stands for Super Critical Water Oxidation) must be disposed of in a suitable hazardous waste facility.  VX hydrolysate raises several challenges - among them are corrosion problems associated with the fluid streams and salt deposits.  Using SCWO to treat VX hydrolysate is significantly different and more complex than previous applications.   Additional development and pilot scale testing of SCWO technology will be necessary to ensure sustained, reliable operation of a full scale integerated treatment system. Because the understanding of fundatmental processes is limited and the process operational data and experience are sparse, empirical design and engineering judgment will be required.....  Alkaline VX hydrolysate and its destructive products under SCWO reaction conditions create an extremely corrosive and erosive environment that requires the careful selection of materials for construction. Lastly, testing to date has been limited to surrogate substitutes and very little testing has been done on VX Hydrolysate.

The above facts and findings are from a 1998 National Research Council paper entitled Using Supercritical Water Oxidation to Treat Hydrolysate from VX Neutralization which was commissioned by the US Army.  Obviously the NRC does not present as glowing or glossed over an account of the potential problems and dangers involved as did the recent local publicity on this subject.  The National Research Council is part of the National Academy of Sciences which is the Nation's premier government think tank and draws on the top level expertise from academia and industry from a broad cross section of the Americas.

Interested parties can obtain a copy of the full NRC paper off the internet at http://books.nap.edu/books/0309068827/html/1.html

The commercial companies involved admit that they know of no later work on this subject than the 1998 NRC report. While it is possible that the Army has solved all the problems identified in this report since it was published, that seems open to question. Common sense would say that if the Hydrolysate is as innocuous as it is claimed to be then it needn't be shipped in double barrel containers from Utah.  The experimental plant for Corpus Christi is being manufactured in San Diego and trucked here for a three month test. If the end prodcut is harmless saltwater then why does it have to be injected almost 5,000 feet underground.  Finally, the process (if successful) will be carried out in chemical storage facilities located in Indiana, Colorado and Arkansas. Why Corpus Christi? Something does not ring true here.

Compounding this potential problem is that the Army admits in another NRC Report that their quality control and safety at the Utah processing facility is not good as it should be.  If they admit it it must be a lot worse and Corpus Christi is on the receiving end.
The Mayor recently asked why Corpus Christi isn't growing like the rest of the Nation. Could it be that our growth industry is hazardous and toxic waste disposal. Nueces County is something like 21st in the country in this nasty business and moving up on the ladder. Is growth in toxic waste sites compatible with growth in other sectors. Probably not.
If the Mayor, City Manager lived on Greenwood Drive, perhaps they would not feel as comfortable with this project as they profess.  There is already one lawsuit against this disposal facility by the homeowners about which not much is known because of a Court imposed gag order. This is a shame as the lack of information hurts us all.

The information flow on this entire project has been too little too late and that which was made available has been bady hyped and mishandled.  One can only hope that we do not have another "Love Canal" right here in our back yard or that we will continue to welcome and be the waste dump for chemical weapons residue.

Sadly, the effects of this waste material on future generations of babies can not be forecasted with certainty. If anyone tells you otherwise, they are wrong. In past generations - other bright scientists and public relations specialists have also assured us that there was nothing to worry about only to find out later that they were wrong and that a terrible price was paid. These bright men and women who now say that the current process is safe do so with good intentions as well.  They say the end result is as safe as drinking water but usually don't tell you that the chemicals are still there - rather they have just reached the limit of modern equipment to detect the VX or other particulate - but they are still there.

The City should file suit to block this plan until it can be fully aired and discussed by the citizens and particularly those that will be the subject of this experiment.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
15-DEC-99
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times
820 Lower Broadway
Corpus Christi, TX 78401 (This letter was not published by The Caller-Times)

I am appalled by the content of your article, "US Army Shipping Wastewater," which concerns the chemical disposal of VX Hydrolysate at Corpus Christi. The Caller-Times has slanted or mis-stated the facts to present the story in a way to make this waste disposal issue politically acceptable and to discourage public debate. You have an obligation to report all the facts and the peole have a right to know the facts which they are not getting from your paper in this instance. The problem is further deepened by the arrogant remarks by the Mayor and the City Manger i.e., "he feels at ease with the project," "not worried" and "they meet all the licensure requirements." This is potentially very serious to some of our citizens and they deserve better leadership than what is being shown.

A few of the facts you missed in your article include: VX is one of the most toxic chemical agents.  The chemical EA-2192, an interim by product of the neutralization reaction, is a dangerous nerve toxin. The solution developed in the fourth process in the SCWO system (to be done in Corpus Christi) must be disposed of in a suitable hazardous waste facility. VX hydrolysate raises several challenges among them are corrosion problems associated with the fluid streams and salt deposits.  Using SCWO to treat VX hydrolysate is significantly different and more complex than previous applications. Additional development and pilot scale testing of SCWO technology will be necessary to ensure sustained, reliable operation of a full scale integrated treatment system. Because the understanding of fundamental processes is limited and the process operational data and experience are sparse, empirical design and engineering judgment will be required...Alkaline VX hydrolysate and its destructive products under SCWO reaction conditions create an extremely corrosive and erosive environment that requires the careful materials of construction.

The above facts and concerns are from a 1998 National Research Council paper entitled Using Supercritical Water Oxidation to Treat Hydrolysate from VX Neutralization which was commissioned by the US Army.  Obviously the NRC did not present as glowing or glossed over an account of the potential dangers involved as did your paper.

Perhaps the companies you rely on for information in your article have solved all the problems since this report was published but that seems open to question. Common sense would say that if the Hydrolysate is as innocuous as it is claimed it to be be then it needn't be shipped in double barrel containers.  Also, if the end product is harmless seawater then why does it have to be injected almost 5,000 feet underground. Something does not ring true here.

Compounding this potential problem is that the Army admits in another NRC Report that their quality control and safety at the Utah processing facility is not as good as it should be. If they admit it, it must be a lot worse and Corpus Christi is on the receiving end.

Perhaps the Mayor, City Manger and his staff and the council ought to move to Greenwood Drive and display a little leaderhsip in this matter.  If not, then the City should file suit to block this plan until it can be fully aired and discussed by the citizens and particularly those that will be the subject of this experiment.

         W.R. [Bill] Alling