Anniston Star
February 4, 2003

Chemical weapons program gets an F

By Jason Landers
Star Staff Writer
02-04-2003

The Army program that destroys the nation's aging chemical weapons received a failing grade from the Bush administration in its annual budget request to Congress.

The administration listed community safety concerns in Anniston among the leading reasons for the "ineffective" rating.

Public safety concerns here have led to "significant delays" in the startup of operations at the Army's chemical weapons incinerator, the president's assessment reads.

Army officials with ties to the chemical demilitarization program would not comment on the rating, but they stressed much is being done to address local safety needs.

"The Army is committed to keeping the public safe," an Army spokesman said.

Late last week, the Army freed millions of federal dollars that will pay for protecting residents against an accidental release of nerve or blister agent at the Anniston Army Depot.

Included in that money is $5 million to provide residents with protective hoods, sheltering kits for their homes and indoor air re-circulation filters, an Army official said.

The money, which had been held up at the Department of Defense, has been transferred to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will distribute it to the state Emergency Management Agency.

Craig Conklin, director of the FEMA division that oversees preparing stockpile communities for a chemical weapons incident, said the funds transfer "is a top priority" for the agency. He suggested the money should reach the community around Feb. 13, the date when county officials hope to finalize a contract for the safety items.

Should the money arrive after that date, county officials say, finalization of the contract will be delayed.

"Just as soon as we get it, we will be ready to provide it to the county," said Scott Adcock, a state EMA spokesman.

Concurring with the administration's ineffective label, Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, said he is hopeful recent leadership changes will turn the foundering program around.

In an attempt to streamline the program, the Defense Department shifted oversight to Army Assistant Secretary Claude Bolten in January. Officials say the change will create more openness and transparency in the program. The change also places oversight of the stockpiles and the chemical demilitarization facilities under the same umbrella.

Bolten assumes the helm Feb. 18.

"I remain optimistic that the Army's most recent restructuring will result in achieving the substantial administrative and management reforms elected officials and local citizens have sought for so long," Shelby said.

Shelby had threatened to withdraw support for the startup of the incinerator if the Army didn't expedite emergency preparedness measures at area schools, something the Army agreed it would do last week. The senator, as well as Gov. Bob Riley, also is calling on the Army to take community notification responsibilities from the county, provide special needs residents with additional protections and update toxicity thresholds for the chemical agents stored at the depot.

Despite the negative assessment, Army officials maintain there were a number of positive accomplishments during the last year.

The Army completed destruction of its sarin stockpile in Tooele, Utah, chose neutralization as the method for disposing of mustard projectiles in Colorado, and recommended neutralization as the technology for destroying a stockpile in Kentucky. It also developed a concept for accelerating neutralization of ton containers in Aberdeen, Md., and Newport, Ind.

In its assessment, the Bush administration said delays and cost increases will make it difficult for the program to meet required deadlines for destroying the weapons.

Only incinerators at sites in Tooele and at Johnson Atoll in the Pacific have destroyed agent. Startup of operations in Anniston has been indefinitely postponed.

To date, the program has destroyed 25 percent of the nation's chemical weapons. According to an international agreement, complete disposal is required by 2007, with a possible five-year extension.