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Politics in Kentucky
C-J reporters dish on the people and issues behind Kentucky's politics

House delegation backs McConnell's chem weapons deadline
As the House deliberates on a fiscal 2008 spending blueprint for the Pentagon, Kentucky's delegation is unanimous in supporting a 2017 deadline for the destruction of chemical weapons at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

That deadline was inserted into the Senate version of the defense authorization bill by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has been trying for years to keep the military from sidelining the Kentucky chemical weapons project.

A letter has gone out to House negotiators, signed by Reps. Ed Whitfield, R-1st District, Ron Lewis, R-2nd District, John Yarmuth, D-3rd District, Geoff Davis, R-4th District, Hal Rogers, R-5th District, and Ben Chandler, D-6th District. The lawmakers want the McConnell deadline kept in the final authorization measure.

The continued presence of the chemical weapons is a "serious risk to surrounding communities as the Cold War-era weapons continue to age, becoming less stable, and serve as terrorist targets," the congressmen wrote.

Also on the letter are four Colorado House members, because the 2017 deadline also would apply to the destruction of chemical weapons at Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado.

Blue Grass Army Depot is storing 523 tons of chemical weapons, while Pueblo has 2,611 tons.

posted by James R. Carroll at 2:14 PM