Leaders of the movement to stop U.S. Army plans to burn the nation's chemical weapons
arsenal applauded today's announcement that Teledyne-Commodore had developed and
field-tested a low temperature process to dispose of all nerve and mustard agent from
rockets and other weapons with zero emissions.

Teledyne-Commodore, LLC, announced today that it has successfully completed testing of
its chemical process known as salvated electron technology (SET). The SET process has
now demonstrated the ability to destroy nerve and mustard agents, metal parts, explosives,
propellant and dunnage and has met all of the Army's requirements for alternative
technologies.

According to the Teledyne-Commodore, the process is a non-thermal, low pressure, low
temperature with no emissions. No detectable agent remains from the below-room
temperature process, and the overall waste stream is the least of any chemical agent
neutralization process. Teledyne-Commodore also claims the SET process is significantly
more cost effective than other technologies, including incineration.

"Since safer technologies clearly exist to dispose of all components of chemical weapons,
there is no longer any excuse for exposing communities to the risks of incineration," said
Craig Williams, national spokesman for the Chemical Weapons Working Group (CWWG).
"In response to this breakthrough, Congress should eliminate all funds for chemical
weapons incineration from the budget the Clinton Administration submitted today and use
the money to pursue safer, less-expensive alternatives like those unveiled today."

CWWG activists oppose the Army's proposal to build eight chemical weapons incinerators
on the U.S. mainland due to toxic incinerator emissions and safety problems. The
Pentagon's $12 billion incineration program is 13 years behind schedule due to technical
and permitting problems and is 700% over budget.

Incineration has been abandoned in favor of safer technologies in Indiana and Maryland.
Last year Congress passed legislation prohibiting construction of incinerators in Colorado
and Kentucky until at least two non-incineration processes are demonstrated. Citizens in
Russia, Japan, and world wide are demanding safe non-incineration, no emissions
technologies for destruction of their chemical weapons.

A lawsuit to shut down the Army's Tooele, Utah, incinerator is scheduled for a public
hearing before a Federal Judge in Salt Lake City on March 3.

CWWG Home Page

Contact us: Chemical Weapons Working Group Kentucky Environmental Foundation P.O. Box 467 Berea, KY 40403 phone: 859-986-7565 fax: 859-986-2695 For comments about this WWW page contact Lois Kleffman.