A new National Research Council report looks at the U.S. Army's management of secondary waste generated during its disposal of stockpiled chemical agents. The Army estimates that millions of pounds of secondary waste will be produced before the stockpiles are fully destroyed; effective management of the waste will be critical for the timely closing of the disposal facilities. The report examines the requirements for management of these wastes, including the appropriateness of off-site disposal, as well as regulations requiring trial burns to prove the efficiency of the incinerators. The report -- REVIEW OF CHEMICAL AGENT SECONDARY WASTE DISPOSAL AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS -- will be released at a one-hour public briefing on Thursday, July 26.

DETAILS: 1 p.m. EDT in the Lecture Room of the National Academies building, 2100 C St., N.W., Washington, D.C. Reporters who cannot attend may listen to a live audio webcast and submit questions using an e-mail form at http://national-academies.org.

PARTICIPATING FROM THE COMMITTEE THAT WROTE THE REPORT:

-- Peter B. Lederman (committee chair), retired executive director, Northeast Hazardous Substance Management Research Center, Newark, N.J.

-- Rebecca Haffenden, attorney and technical staff member, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, N.M.