More than 1,200 tons of VX nerve agent is stored in Newport, Indiana and the U.S. Army has been sending this material to Port Arthur, TX. The nerve gas is being neutralized on location in Indiana and the Army wants to have the toxic waste water byproduct, hydrolysate, incinerated at the Veolia treatment plant in West Port Arthur where nearly 375,000 gallons has already been transported.
VX is one of the most lethal chemical agents on the planet and requires extreme care and handling. The Army has tried to ship the waste to Dayton, Ohio and then to a plant on the Delaware River in New Jersey, but citizen protest prevented the shipment of the toxic waste in both cases. Unfortunately, no public hearing was offered before shipping the byproduct to Port Arthur and more shipments are planned.
The facility's location in Port Arthur, a predominantly poor, African American community brings up questions of environmental racism-whereby companies and government agencies site- whether purposefully or
intentionally- polluting industries in low-income, minority communities.
The main concerns of communities opposing the shipments and disposal of this hazardous waste are:
- Environmental degradation from the wastewater
- Potential health risks from chemicals
- VX nerve agent presence/reformation in wastewater
- Odors/lowering property values
- Impact on local fishing/other edible aquatic life
- Potential spills/hijackings during shipment
Currently, U.S. District Judge Larry McKinney is expected to set a ruling on whether to prohibit the transfer of the neutralized VX agent across some 900 miles of roadway.
The Army estimates that more than 300 additional truckloads of hydrolysate will be needed to haul away the remaining waste Newport's VX neutralization is expected to produce.
Our Request:
We respectfully ask Congress and the EPA to stop the Army's transportation of VX hydrolysate across state boundaries and over interstate roadways. Help us protect the citizens of Port Arthur, Texas.
Supporting Organizations:
TEXPIRG, Community In-Power Development Association, SEED Coalition, Public Citizen, Texas Environmental Justice and Advocacy Services, Global Community Monitoring, Gulf Coast Restoration Network, Environmental Law & Justice Clinic (TSU), Texas Campaign for the Environment, Environment Texas and the Chemical Weapons Working Group.
