[MilCom] Chemical Weapons Story

[Bill Jones]

> CNN this evening (1125/05) ran a segment on the Newport, IN Army Chemical 
> Storage area. Basically CNN reported that there's 250K gallons of VX (sticky 
> substances similiar to motor oil) stored there.  

Actually, VX is a clear liquid that looks much more like water than motor oil. 
It is quite unstable, when in the open, however, and when it decomposes, it 
starts to discolor and get sticky, more like oil. 

> They are in the process of 
> neutralizing (7K gallons processed so far) via a chemical process which 
> reduces the substance to 250 parts per billion in water.  The plan is to 
> take that waste water to a Dupont processing plant on the Deleware river & 
> further "wash" the water & than release it into the river which is just up 
> river from Cape May NJ... So far the EPA hasn't given them permission to do 
> this.

By the time it gets to Dupont, the caustic brine solution is more dangerous 
than any VX, which, and that is probably pretty similar to other stuff they 
deal with every day.  Anyway, while what is being released into the Delaware 
may be of concern, the concern should not be about any residual VX.  However 
the public paranoia about such things often results in deviation from logic.

> Grove's 'Military Frequency Directory' 2nd edition, lists 11 VHF high band 
> frequencies potentially in use.  I'd assume that many if not most are 
> encrypted.
> 
> Radio Information Systems http://www.radioinfosystems.com/links.htm 
> 'Military Facilities Frequency Lists' reported in the past that they are 
> operating on a trunked radio system with local public safety.
> 
> Radio Reference  www.radioreference.com  doesn't confirm a separate trunking 
> system is in operation but continues to show that the Vemillion County PD/FD 
> operates on VHF highband with the Emergency Mangement agency operating on 
> UHF.   HOWEVER, the website does list a 800 mhz Motorola trunking site in 
> Newport for the Indiana Project Hoosier SAFE-T System statewide trunking 
> system.

I used to work at another place where such things were stored, and movements 
were conducted by something called Tech Escort Unit, and I couldn't monitor 
them, however the base FD and security transmissions that accompanied the 
movements were usually unencrypted, however that was before 9/11, so I don't 
know what they are doing now.  
     

Bill Jones         N3JLQ
Sweden Maine
wejones at megalink.net
http://www.megalink.net/~wejones