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Court Hearing Focuses On VX Shipments

Last updated on Tuesday, July 17, 2007

(INDIANAPOLIS) - A federal court hearing is underway in Indianapolis to determine whether the Army will be allowed to move waste created by the destruction of the deadly VX nerve gas from Indiana to Texas.

Several environmental groups claim the liquid waste is an imminent threat to public health. Opponents also believe the wastewater is more dangerous than the Army claims.

The hearing comes about a month after the army agreed to postpone shipments from Western Indiana to Port Arthur, Texas until the judge makes a final ruling.

The Army signed a 49 million dollar contract with Veolia Environmental Services in April to incinerate about 2 million gallons of the liquid. Two earlier deals with companies in Dayton, Ohio and Deepwater, New Jersey, were halted because of strong public outcry.

The Army maintains the process is as safe as the typical transportation of chemicals across the country. The Chemical Weapons Working Group, The Sierra Club and other groups claim the 900-mile truck shipments of the hydrolysate violate state and federal laws.

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