McCONNELL CONTINUES WORKING TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR
WEAPONS DISPOSAL IN KY - PUTS FORTH AMENDMENTS TO MANDATE COMPLETION DATE
Legislating a Specific Deadline Would Move the Pentagon to Adequately Fund the Project

In what seems to be a never ending effort on behalf of Kentucky citizens, Senator Mitch McConnell continues to fight for adequate funding to destroy the chemical weapons stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond.

Today McConnell's office released information on some of the actions he's taken towards this goal in the annual budget process on Capital Hill.

On the funding side, he has been successful in getting the Senate to agree to an increase in the Military Construction budget for the project by $18 Million. Also, the Defense Appropriations Committee passed an increase of $28 Million in additional funding to move the project forward. This latest increase has to be voted on by the full Senate which is expected to happen soon.

Both increases then still have to be reconciled with the House versions, which contain no such provisions, before the funds can flow to the Kentucky project.

"This is good news for those of us who have watched the Pentagon continue to try and shortchange the local effort to eliminate the risk associated with these weapons," said Craig Williams, Director of the Berea based Chemical Weapons Working Group. "The Senator's efforts on behalf of the region on this matter have been relentless and extraordinary."

In addition to the funding effort, McConnell has also put forth amendments to both the Defense Authorization Bill and the Defense Spending (Appropriations) Bill imposing a deadline to destroy all the U.S. chemical weapons, including those stored in Kentucky by December 31,2017.

Passage of this amendment in either Bill will have the Pentagon rethink its current funding plans, which push the completion date in Kentucky out to 2023. The Pentagon's rationale for extending the schedule is based on saving dollars in each fiscal year to spend on other projects. The irony is that by doing so it will cost taxpayers an additional $1.65 Billion to get the job done in Kentucky (an equal amount will also be added to the Colorado disposal project).

"My amendment in the Defense Appropriations bill gives the DOD ten years to complete its work on chemical weapons disposal at the Blue Grass Army Depot," McConnell said. "Without a firm deadline, DOD will continue to drag its feet, and this is unacceptable to me and to the people of Madison County, Kentucky."

In addition to saving taxpayers over a billion and a-half dollars, McConnell's amendment would, more importantly, eliminate the risk associated with continuing to store these weapons in a heavily populated and fast growing part of the Commonwealth.

"The most distressing part of the Pentagon's approach to all this is their complete disregard for the safety of the citizens of this region," said Williams. "Their own studies state that we house the most dangerous weapons in the U.S. right here, and rather than act responsibly in that regard, they are willing to elongate that risk just to save dollars over the period. It's just not the way to treat this or any other community."

Another effort undertaken by Senator McConnell earlier this year is little known, but shows his true dedication to getting these weapons gone - soon.

According to Williams, "Back in February when the Defense budget was about to be sent to Congress we found out how much the Pentagon intended to request for Colorado and Kentucky. Naturally we communicated this to Senator McConnell. A few days later when the budget request arrived, that number rose by $54 Million for the Colorado and Kentucky projects, " said Williams. "Now, I'm not sure what occurred, but I think I know who to thank for it."

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