Newport Chemical Depot

Newport Chemical Depot was a U.S. Army chemical production and storage facility located near Newport in Vermillion County, in western Indiana. The installation was established in the early 1940s as the Wabash River Ordnance Works, originally built to manufacture the explosive RDX and trinitrotoluene (TNT), and it also served as a heavy water production site during the mid 1940s. From roughly the early 1960s until 1968, the Army manufactured the nerve agent VX at the site, and the depot later stored a large stockpile of that agent for several decades. The VX stockpile was destroyed through a neutralization process between 2005 and 2008, and the on site disposal facility was closed in 2010. Following a Base Realignment and Closure recommendation, the roughly 7,100 acre property has been transferred for civilian reuse and is being redeveloped as the Vermillion Rise Mega Park.

Decades of explosives manufacturing, chemical agent production, and related industrial activity have been associated with contamination of soil, groundwater, surface water, and structures across portions of the property, including former landfills and disposal areas. The following contaminants have been documented in connection with operations at this installation, and concerns about potential exposure have been raised for those who lived or worked there.

1. RDX and other explosives: RDX is a powerful military explosive that, along with TNT, was produced and handled at the site beginning in its earliest years of operation. Manufacturing and disposal of these materials have been associated with residues in soil and groundwater. Exposure to certain explosive compounds has been associated in some studies with effects on the nervous system and other health concerns.
2. Trichloroethylene (TCE): TCE is a chlorinated solvent that was commonly used at industrial and military sites for degreasing equipment and cleaning parts, and it has been identified among the contaminants of concern at this facility. TCE in soil and groundwater can persist for long periods, and exposure to it has been associated with concerns about effects on the liver, kidneys, immune system, and other health outcomes.
3. Solvents and other volatile organic compounds: A range of solvents was used in support of production and maintenance activities at the depot. These compounds have been associated with groundwater contamination at industrial sites, and concerns about potential exposure through contaminated water or vapor have been raised.
4. Heavy metals: Heavy metals have been documented among the contaminants identified at the site, reflecting the materials handled during manufacturing, storage, and disposal operations. Long term exposure to certain heavy metals has been associated with a variety of health concerns, depending on the specific metal and the level and duration of contact.

Newport Chemical Depot was not placed on the National Priorities List, so its environmental work has been carried out under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action program rather than as a federal Superfund site. Soil and groundwater remediation across the property was reported complete in 2014, and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management later issued a determination that the site had fulfilled its obligations under the RCRA Corrective Action program, with land use controls remaining in place in some areas as redevelopment continues.

Veterans, civilian employees, and family members who spent time at Newport Chemical Depot may wish to stay informed about the site's environmental history and any updates to its cleanup status. Anyone with questions about possible exposures and their health is encouraged to speak with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a personal health care provider, who can offer guidance based on individual circumstances.