[MilCom] Chemical Weapons Story

[Jack L. Metcalfe]

At 10:12 PM 11/25/2005, Ken wrote:
>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.   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.
>
>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.
>
>Additional background information can be found at:
>http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/newport.htm
>http://www.cma.army.mil/docviewerframe.aspx?docid=003675052
>
>Not sure if any of you folks remember this by many years ago Tom 
>Kneitel wrote a feature article in "Popular Communications" magazine 
>on chemical/biological storage areas in the US.
---
At one point, maybe 10 or so years ago, the Army Depots ran a HF SSB 
voice/packet radio net.  I still
check the frequencies now & then, but there hasn't been any activity 
for a very long time.
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Jack L. Metcalfe
Stanford, KY
jlmetcalfe at direcway.com
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