Army Urged on Chemical Weapon Disposal Friday November 17, 2006 6:16 AM WASHINGTON (AP) - Technologies used to destroy chemical weapons in Europe and Japan are faster than one in the U.S. and should be considered, the National Research Council said Thursday. In a study requested by the Army, the council said the foreign systems are as safe and sometimes more environmentally friendly that those in use here. Destruction of chemical weapons recovered from burial sites has been under way since the early 1990s. An international convention calls for them to be destroyed by next April. "If the U.S. Department of Defense decides to expedite the destruction of the large amounts of chemical weapons still buried in many parts of the country, using one of these technologies will be essential," said Richard Ayen, chairman of the committee that prepared the report. He is retired director of technology at Waste Management Inc. of Houston. The study suggested three technologies for use: -The Controlled Detonation Chamber, developed by DeMil International Inc. of Alabama and used in Europe. It places explosives around the munitions and then detonates them in a tightly sealed chamber. -The Detonation of Ammunition in a Vacuum-Integrated Chamber technology, developed by Kobe Steel in Japan. It works in a similar way. -A system developed by Swedish company Dynasafe. It detonates munitions in a kiln heated to temperatures between 720 degrees and 1,080 degrees Fahrenheit. The council is an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, an independent organization chartered by Congress to advise the government on scientific issues. --- On the Net: National Research Council: http://www.nationalacademies.org/nrc