In fiscal year 2008, the US Department of Defense released a study finding that the U.S. had dumped at least 124 tons of VX into the Atlantic Ocean off the coasts of New York/New Jersey and Florida, between 1969 and 1970. This material consisted of nearly 22,000 M55 rockets, 19 bulk containers holding 1,400 pounds (640 kg) each, and one M23 chemical landmine. [25]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VX_(nerve_agent)#US_VX_stockpi...
It was indeed an interesting tid bit. I also found your comment about newer practices interesting, and neither comment rebuts the other.
The discussion appears to be on the topic if we assume the topic is VX or nerve agents in general. I assume this is in line with your intention for posting a series of Wikipedia links on the subject in this thread, which I found both relevant and interesting.
The reasons why I suggested that the dumping of large quantities of nerve agents was an interesting fact is an inquisitive person may ask themselves -
- Is the product still down there under the ocean?
- What could be the environmental impact?
- What were they thinking at the time to dump such a hazardous material? Why didn't they use alternative means to destroy the material?
- Was this standard practise back then? If so what other deadly man made products are under the ocean?
- If they are still working to eradicate 5,950 tons of nerve agents in a single storage complex in Russia, how much did that country dump back during the cold war and would we actually ever find out? TFA says the 5,950 tons is only 14% of of Russian chemical weapons [1]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VX_(nerve_agent)#Worldwide_VX_...
I think a lot of weapons are poorly thought out when it comes to the long term, such as land mines. However, since the purpose of chemical weapons is often to murder enough people that you can take their land, deterioration in a natural setting could be built in.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wa1lrqxQpPqPXwnkmJ...
Unless the victim ate the wrong fish.