Veolia ES Celebrates Destruction of Nerve Gas Agents for Army

Date: February 9, 2009

Source: Veolia ES Technical Solutions

Veolia Environmental Services Celebrates Successful Completion Of Army Hydrolysate Disposal Project

  • Project advances U.S. chemical weapons stockpile elimination program

Veolia ES Technical Solutions, the hazardous waste division of Veolia Environmental Services, along with officials from Tri-State Motor Transit and the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA), recently celebrated the successful transportation and destruction of over 1.5 million gallons of hydrolysate as part of the CMA's chemical stockpile elimination program. The hydrolysate wastewater was generated by the destruction of VX nerve agent and was transported without incident over an 18-month period from the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Newport, Ind. to Veolia's incineration facility in Port Arthur, where it was destroyed. The project was completed safely, on time and in accordance with all applicable regulations.

At a ceremony held at Veolia's Port Arthur facility, Jim Bell, president and CEO of Veolia ES Technical Solutions, commented on the company's dedication to the project's mission. "Throughout the project, our team remained committed to our initial promise to the Army: to safely transport and handle these materials without impact to the surrounding community or environment and in compliance with all regulations. In the end, our word was true. I am truly proud of our team here at Port Arthur and our partners at Tri-State Motor Transit."

"Veolia's effort to energize and inform the local, state and regional citizens, representatives and regulators early on in the process and often, was an important key to our overall success," stated Conrad Whyne, director of the US Army Chemical Materials Agency. "Tri-State's adherence to transportation regulations buttressed those efforts. And I know what my government team did in terms of their efforts to keep the Indiana and DC sides of this effort informed and up-to-date. All these separate efforts dovetailed into the very success we celebrate here today."

Glen Garrett, president and chairman of Tri-State, was equally enthusiastic. "This accomplishment is a testament to the ability of our drivers, the competence and knowledge of the Veolia staff and the partnership our team built with the CMA," he said.

Destruction of the hydrolysate was part of a program to assist the U.S. government in accomplishing its treaty obligations under the International Chemical Weapons Convention.

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About Veolia Es Technical Solutions, LLC.

Veolia ES Technical Solutions, L.L.C., a subsidiary of Veolia Environmental Services North America Corp., provides a complete range of services for industrial and municipal customers needing to dispose of hazardous and regulated waste. Veolia ES Technical Solutions has 48 sales, service and treatment and disposal facilities conveniently located throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Capabilities include labor services on customers' sites, permitted and secure incineration, fuels blending, recycling of solvents and acids, lighting and electronic waste recycling, and low-level radioactive and mixed waste solutions. The company has 15 permitted Treatment Storage Disposal Facilities and 37 10-day in transit locations.

About Veolia Environmental Services in North America

Veolia Environmental Services North America Corp., headquartered in Chicago, offers fully integrated environmental solutions to virtually all industrial, commercial, municipal and residential sectors. It is part of the Veolia Environmental Services (VES) group, the only global manager of liquid, solid, non-hazardous and hazardous waste; on-site waste processing, industrial cleaning and process maintenance; and recycling, recovery and disposal for both the public and private sectors. VES is the largest waste services company in the world. It has over 92,500 employees in 42 countries and posted revenues of $13.6 billion in 2007. Veolia Environnement (NYSE:VE), the parent of VES, with operations in water, waste, energy and transportation management, has more than 320,000 employees in 68 countries and recorded revenues of $48 billion in 2007. For more information, please visit www.VeoliaES.com.

For more information, contact:
Jim Dykhuis, Veolia ES Technical Solutions
630 218 1763
Jim.dykhuis@veoliaes.com.

Denisse Ike, Veolia Environmental Services North America
312.552.2800
Denisse.ike@veoliaes.com.

Denise Graham, On Ideas
904 354 2600
Denisegraham@onideas.com.

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