Comprehensive Technical Assessments Confirm DuPont Secure Environmental Treatment Can Safely Transport and Treat Wastewater from U.S. Army's Site

DEEPWATER, N.J., March 04, 2004 — A series of comprehensive technical assessments – ranging from transportation safety to treatability to environmental impact – confirm that the DuPont Secure Environmental Treatment (SET) facility here can safely and effectively transport and treat the wastewater generated from the U.S. Army's Newport (Indiana) site.

The 350-page DuPont research study concluded that the proposed project can be accomplished in a safe and environmentally sound manner and poses no unique hazards. In addition, independent third-party reviews were conducted by scientists with expertise in their appropriate fields on the specific technical assessments. Scientists from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science reviewed the screening level of environmental risk to the Delaware River assessment; Virginia Polytechnic Institute reviewed the treatability of the wastewater by DuPont-patented SET technology assessment, and; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed the toxicology assessment of health hazards. The independent scientists' comments were reviewed, assessed and incorporated as appropriate to improve the quality and accuracy of the final specific technical assessments.

The technical assessments addressed a broad range of subjects:

Transportation safety and risk management.
Treatability of the wastewater by DuPont-patented SET technology.
Screening level of environmental risk to the Delaware River.
Toxicology assessment of health hazards.

The wastewater will:

not contain nerve agent – since the agent would be destroyed at the Army's site in Indiana.
be analyzed and certified as non-detect for nerve agent by several technical sources before it can leave the Army's site. Independent international Chemical Weapons inspectors will be on site and in the Army's laboratories.
not be able to reformulate into nerve agent – since it would be destroyed in Indiana.
be non-flammable.

No contracts have been signed on the proposed Newport wastewater treatment project.

"We do not accept any wastewater unless we can treat it safely and effectively without any adverse impact on our employees, the community, and the environment. That's why every wastestream undergoes advance testing to ensure that it can be treated safely and effectively," said Nick Fanandakis, vice president and general manager – DuPont Chemical Solutions Enterprise. "The SET facility has used unique DuPont-patented technology to safely treat a spectrum of complex chemical wastestreams for more than 25 years under permits by both the U.S. EPA and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The facility was specifically designed to treat chemical wastewaters. The assessments of this proposed project confirm that we can apply our unique technology capabilities and 200-plus years of experience in safely handling hazardous materials to assist the Army on this national security initiative."

The scientific research studies were conducted in response to a proposal by the U.S. Army for DuPont to assist in the U.S. government's ongoing chemical weapons stockpile destruction and disposal initiative. The chemical weapons destruction process is conducted by the U.S. Army under the auspices of the international Chemical Weapons Convention, as ratified by the U.S. Congress in 1997.

Shortly after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. government accelerated efforts on eliminating potential terrorist threats across the U.S. – including those posed by storage of chemical warfare agents and weapons. As part of that effort, the U.S. Army is destroying its VX–nerve agent stockpile in Newport, Ind. The Army has found that this stockpile's elimination best can be achieved by on-site destruction of the VX-nerve agent in Indiana. The resulting wastewater from the destruction process will undergo off-site treatment using an existing permitted commercial treatment facility.

Because of the unique scientific, technical and safety capabilities of DuPont, the Army approached the DuPont SET facility – North America's largest hazardous wastewater treatment facility – at Chambers Works in Salem County, N.J., for possible treatment assistance. Through its patented Powdered Activated Carbon Treatment (PACT®) technology, DuPont SET, which treats 15 million gallons of wastewater each day with a capacity of 40 million gallons, has been treating the Army's wastewater from its Aberdeen, Md., site, where mustard agent is destroyed.

The U.S. Army will host information and poster sessions on the proposed project in both New Jersey and Delaware. The first session will be March 17 at the Penns Grove-Carney's Point Regional High School auditorium in Carney's Point, N.J., from 6 to 9 p.m. The second session will be March 19 at the Delaware Technical & Community College Conference Center in Wilmington, Del., from 6 to 9 p.m. DuPont will participate in the information and poster sessions.

Attached is the executive summary of the 350-page research study "DuPont Technical Assessment on the U.S. Army Newport (Indiana) Project." The complete study is also available to review online at: www.set.dupont.com. (click on SET-U.S. Dept. of Defense Initiatives).

The Secure Environmental Treatment facility is part of the DuPont Safety & Protection platform. The Safety and Protection platform is focused on finding solutions to protect people, property, operations and the environment by leveraging and expanding 202 years of DuPont experience as one of the safest companies in the world; its recognized excellence in science and technology; and its knowledge of key markets. DuPont is dedicated to using its science and technology to provide environmentally responsible clean and disinfect technologies for the prevention of disease and to improve productivity in the food, healthcare, household, institutional and industrial markets.

DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by solving problems and creating solutions that make people's lives better, safer and easier. Operating in more than 70 countries, the company offers a wide range of products and services to markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.

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03/04/04

Editor's Note: Photos of the SET technology/facility and additional background information are available online at www.set.dupont.com (click on SET-U.S. Dept. of Defense Initiatives.) B-roll video in BETA format of the SET technology/facility is available by contacting Anthony Farina at 302-774-4114.

DuPont Technical Assessment on U.S. Army Newport (Indiana) Project

Executive Summary

DuPont has completed a series of four technical assessments for potential project work involving transportation and treatment of non-flammable caustic hydrolysate wastewater (NCH) produced from the destruction of VX nerve agent stockpiled at the U.S. Army's Newport Chemical Depot (Newport, Indiana). The wastewater would be certified as non-detect for nerve agent by several technical sources before the wastewater can leave the Army's site. Independent international Chemical Weapons inspectors will be on site and in the Army's laboratories.

The wastewater would be transported to North America's largest hazardous wastewater treatment facility, DuPont's Secure Environmental Treatment (SET) plant at the DuPont Chambers Works site (Deepwater, N.J.). The SET facility would initially pre-treat the wastewater by chemical oxidation to eliminate any odors. Following this process, it would be combined with other wastewater streams at the facility, and then receive rigorous treatment through the unique DuPont-patented wastewater treatment technology called Powdered Activated Carbon Treatment (PACT®). After the rigorous process, the treated effluent would be discharged to the Delaware River under permits with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
The technical assessments studies were conducted in response to a proposal by the United States Army requesting DuPont's technical assistance and participation in the U.S. government's ongoing chemical weapons stockpile destruction and disposal initiative. The chemical weapons destruction process is conducted by the U.S. Army under the auspices of the international Chemical Weapons Convention, as ratified by the U.S. Congress in 1997.

The four categories of technical assessments are:

Transportation Safety & Risk Management

Screening Level Environmental Risk Assessment to the Delaware River

Treatability of NCH by DuPont SET Technology

Toxicology Assessment of Health Hazards

Overall Technical Assessment — Conclusion

DuPont scientific assessments have determined the proposed project can be accomplished in a safe and environmentally sound manner and poses no unique hazards. DuPont has made these comprehensive studies available for public review online at www.set.dupont.com .

In addition, independent third-party reviews were conducted by scientists with expertise in their appropriate fields on the specific technical assessments. Scientists from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science reviewed the screening level of environmental risk to the Delaware River assessment; Virginia Polytechnic Institute reviewed the treatability of the wastewater by DuPont-patented SET technology assessment, and; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed the toxicology assessment of health hazards. The independent scientists' comments were reviewed, assessed and incorporated as appropriate to improve the quality and accuracy of the final specific technical assessments.

Individual Assessments — Key Findings

Transportation Safety and Risk Management

No VX nerve agent will be transported. All nerve agent will be destroyed at the U.S. Army's Newport (Indiana) Chemical Depot and transformed into NCH wastewater. The study included a risk-based evaluation of the critical safety factors for transporting the wastestream.

The NCH wastewater does not pose any unique concerns in transportation. The equipment required for this project, commonly used U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) cargo tanks, is used daily in commerce. The study also identified several additional upgrades to enhance safety. Risks for all assessed routes are very low and were statistically equivalent. The transported wastewater poses only a moderate hazard to emergency responders in the close vicinity of a spill (30-50 yards) due to its sodium hydroxide content.

The transportation study concluded that the assessed routes were comparable to each other in terms of safety. The identified preferred route (Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey) utilizes the most interstate highways (enhancing its statistical safety ratio), minimizes travel over waterways, and is the most efficient in coordinating emergency response capabilities among DuPont responders and appropriate state and local responders. In the event of weather, traffic or other issues affecting the preferred route, an alternative route has been identified based on several comparable criteria. Public comments and input on the transportation routes are available as part of the Army's current public comment process and at the upcoming public information sessions.

Treatability of NCH by DuPont SET Technology

Currently, the SET facility treats about 15 million gallons of wastewater each day, with a capacity to treat 40 million gallons daily. The study demonstrates that DuPont can effectively treat the stated volume (3,000 to 7,000 gallons per day) of wastewater generated at the Newport (Indiana) site through the use of pretreatment and SET's patented Powdered Activated Carbon Treatment (PACT ® ) technology. Following biotreatment, no organic components or degradation products of NCH were identified in the effluent with the exception of two phosphonic acids, MPA and EMPA. Pretreatment by chemical oxidation is effective in odor control.

Screening Level Environmental Risk to the Delaware River

The anticipated discharge levels to the Delaware River are not toxic to aquatic organisms. Phosphonic acids are currently present in the environment from both naturally occurring and industrial sources. Biological processes will eventually biodegrade EMPA and MPA. Based on the anticipated slow biodegradation rate, any utilization of inorganic phosphorus as a nutrient is likely to occur in phosphorous-limited areas of the open ocean.

Toxicology Assessment of Health Hazards

The technical assessment of hazard information concludes that the wastewater can be safely transported, managed as corrosive material and effectively treated at the DuPont SET facility. The toxicity testing, exposure information, literature searches and technical predictive modelings all support the conclusion that MPA and EMPA present a low risk of toxicity.
For additional information or to review the entire 350-page study "DuPont Technical Assessment on U.S. Army Newport (Indiana) Project" visit the DuPont SET website at www.set.dupont.com .

DuPont Technical Assessment on U.S. Army Newport (Indiana) Project
Executive Summary
DuPont has completed a series of four technical assessments for potential project work involving transportation and treatment of non-flammable caustic hydrolysate wastewater (NCH) produced from the destruction of VX nerve agent stockpiled at the U.S. Army's Newport Chemical Depot (Newport, Indiana). The wastewater would be certified as non-detect for nerve agent by several technical sources before the wastewater can leave the Army's site. Independent international Chemical Weapons inspectors will be on site and in the Army's laboratories. The wastewater would be transported to North America's largest hazardous wastewater treatment facility, DuPont's Secure Environmental Treatment (SET) plant at the DuPont Chambers Works site (Deepwater, N.J.). The SET facility would initially pre-treat the wastewater by chemical oxidation to eliminate any odors. Following this process, it would be combined with other wastewater streams at the facility, and then receive rigorous treatment through the unique DuPont-patented wastewater treatment technology called Powdered Activated Carbon Treatment (PACT®). After the rigorous process, the treated effluent would be discharged to the Delaware River under permits with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The technical assessments studies were conducted in response to a proposal by the United States Army requesting DuPont's technical assistance and participation in the U.S. government's ongoing chemical weapons stockpile destruction and disposal initiative. The chemical weapons destruction process is conducted by the U.S. Army under the auspices of the international Chemical Weapons Convention, as ratified by the U.S. Congress in 1997.
The four categories of technical assessments are:
Transportation Safety & Risk Management	Screening Level Environmental Risk Assessment to the Delaware River
Treatability of NCH by DuPont SET Technology	Toxicology Assessment of Health Hazards
Overall Technical Assessment — Conclusion DuPont scientific assessments have determined the proposed project can be accomplished in a safe and environmentally sound manner and poses no unique hazards. DuPont has made these comprehensive studies available for public review online at www.set.dupont.com . In addition, independent third-party reviews were conducted by scientists with expertise in their appropriate fields on the specific technical assessments. Scientists from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science reviewed the screening level of environmental risk to the Delaware River assessment; Virginia Polytechnic Institute reviewed the treatability of the wastewater by DuPont-patented SET technology assessment, and; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed the toxicology assessment of health hazards. The independent scientists' comments were reviewed, assessed and incorporated as appropriate to improve the quality and accuracy of the final specific technical assessments.
Individual Assessments — Key Findings
Transportation Safety and Risk Management No VX nerve agent will be transported. All nerve agent will be destroyed at the U.S. Army's Newport (Indiana) Chemical Depot and transformed into NCH wastewater. The study included a risk-based evaluation of the critical safety factors for transporting the wastestream. The NCH wastewater does not pose any unique concerns in transportation. The equipment required for this project, commonly used U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) cargo tanks, is used daily in commerce. The study also identified several additional upgrades to enhance safety. Risks for all assessed routes are very low and were statistically equivalent. The transported wastewater poses only a moderate hazard to emergency responders in the close vicinity of a spill (30-50 yards) due to its sodium hydroxide content. The transportation study concluded that the assessed routes were comparable to each other in terms of safety. The identified preferred route (Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey) utilizes the most interstate highways (enhancing its statistical safety ratio), minimizes travel over waterways, and is the most efficient in coordinating emergency response capabilities among DuPont responders and appropriate state and local responders. In the event of weather, traffic or other issues affecting the preferred route, an alternative route has been identified based on several comparable criteria. Public comments and input on the transportation routes are available as part of the Army's current public comment process and at the upcoming public information sessions. Treatability of NCH by DuPont SET Technology Currently, the SET facility treats about 15 million gallons of wastewater each day, with a capacity to treat 40 million gallons daily. The study demonstrates that DuPont can effectively treat the stated volume (3,000 to 7,000 gallons per day) of wastewater generated at the Newport (Indiana) site through the use of pretreatment and SET's patented Powdered Activated Carbon Treatment (PACT ® ) technology. Following biotreatment, no organic components or degradation products of NCH were identified in the effluent with the exception of two phosphonic acids, MPA and EMPA. Pretreatment by chemical oxidation is effective in odor control. Screening Level Environmental Risk to the Delaware River The anticipated discharge levels to the Delaware River are not toxic to aquatic organisms. Phosphonic acids are currently present in the environment from both naturally occurring and industrial sources. Biological processes will eventually biodegrade EMPA and MPA. Based on the anticipated slow biodegradation rate, any utilization of inorganic phosphorus as a nutrient is likely to occur in phosphorous-limited areas of the open ocean. Toxicology Assessment of Health Hazards The technical assessment of hazard information concludes that the wastewater can be safely transported, managed as corrosive material and effectively treated at the DuPont SET facility. The toxicity testing, exposure information, literature searches and technical predictive modelings all support the conclusion that MPA and EMPA present a low risk of toxicity. For additional information or to review the entire 350-page study "DuPont Technical Assessment on U.S. Army Newport (Indiana) Project" visit the DuPont SET website at www.set.dupont.com .