Berea Citizen
May 9, 2002

Meeting will address future of chemical stockpiles

Kathy Wyatt
Citizen Writer

A community meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m., May 13, at Union Church to inform the public about the future of chemical weapons held at the Bluegrass Army Depot.

Steven Connelly, local attorney and Berea city council member, said that after 15 to 17 years of deciding if and how to dispose of the chemical weapons, the time to make a final decision is drawing near.

"This fall the Pentagon will be choosing what disposal process to use. This summer the Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens Advisory Commission (CAC) will make a presentation to the Pentagon about the different disposal processes," Connelly said.

Doug Hindman, co-chairman of the CAC, said the commission's part in the meeting is to provide information and get input from the people participating He said that it is important for citizens to attend the meeting because a very important decision is about to be made and this will be a major opportunity to have input on the decision.

"I think the Pentagon will be interested in what Berea citizens want," Hindman said.

Hindman was appointed to his position by the governor and has been involved in chemical demilitarization since 1984, when it was brought to Kentucky's attention.

The meeting will be presented in two phases. The first phase, beginning at 6:30 p.m., will have a showing of technology displays of the five possible disposal techniques, one being incineration and the rest being alternatives to incineration. Of the incineration alternative processes, three fall under the category of neutralization and one is electrochemical.

Neutralization involves agent being neutralized and destroyed with water or caustic soda. Super Critical Water Oxidation (SCWO) is a neutralization process that has projectiles frozen in liquid nitrogen, then smashed. For an electrochemical process, agents are put into electrochemical oxidation units. These units add silver and nitrogen and electricity created silver II ions that oxidize the material.

"We hope to have information around the sanctuary for those who have a technological interest," Connelly said.

Brochures will be available and representatives will be present to explain how each process works.

At 7:30, the second phase will begin which will feature speakers talking about the issue. This will include an overview By Doug Hindman, co-chairman of the Citizen's Advisory Committee, the committee appointed by the governor to gather information, assess technology and then present a report to the Pentagon.

"Many [chemical weapons] sites have had committees," Connelly said. "They play an important role in the final decision."

The panel of speakers include two governmental and two local speakers who will be expected to address the issues of processes' timeline, safety, maturity of technology and information on other U.S. chemical weapons sites. The two government speakers will be Greg Marshall, a representative of the Program Manager of Chemical Demilitarization (PMCD), and Bill Pehhvanian, a representative of Assembled Chemicals Weapons Assessment (ACWA).

The local speakers will present on behalf of incineration or the alternatives. Mayor Clifford Kerby favors incineration, while Elizabeth Crowe, of the Kentucky Environmental Foundation, is promoting the alternatives.

At the end of the meeting, the public will be given the opportunity to provide feedback about what they think should be done with the weapons. If they choose, they will be able to place a sticker on a piece of paper that represents the process they favor.

Connelly said the meeting is focusing in on the community's interests. It should eliminate rumors and give updated information The meeting's goal is to help the public be informed and at a consensus when the final decision is made. Hindman said that the citizens'''' involvement is key in the decision.

"Citizens' views can be influential in this process, especially if they can reach a consensus," he said.

Union Church is located downtown at the corner of Prospect and Main streets. For more information contact the CAC at 625-1528.