Defense Environment Alert
July 16, 2002

KENTUCKY LAWMAKERS BACK ALTERNATIVE DESTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES

All eight members of the Kentucky congressional delegation are backing the use of non-incineration technology to destroy stockpiled chemical weapons in their state. The support comes as the Army is preparing to decide how to dispose of the chemical weapons at the Blue Grass Army Depot, KY.

In a July 10 letter to a governor-appointed citizens advisory commission, the lawmakers say they support the commission's June 10 resolution that endorsed non-incineration technologies (Defense Environment Alert, June 18, p8).

"We believe your Commission's years of experience and considerable understanding of these highly technical issues lend significant weight to your recent Resolution, which we hope will be examined closely by the state and federal officials who have jurisdiction over this program," the delegation writes. The letter is available on InsideEPA. com. See page 2 for details.

The Army May 30 released a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) evaluating the impacts of four different technologies to destroy the Blue Grass stockpile (Defense Environment Alert, June 4, p 10). The Army in the draft document did not cite a preferred technology for the job but said none would likely breach emission standards or exposure levels for human health. The technologies considered are incineration, chemical neutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation (SCWO), chemical neutralization followed by SCWO and gas phase chemical reduction, and electrochemical oxidation. Public comment on the draft EIS is scheduled to end July 15, with a final decision made in late 2002 or early 2003.

The Army in 1984 identified incineration as its preferred method to destroy the nation's chemical weapons stockpile. But in 1997, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) included language in defense legislation that required the Defense Department to explore the use of alternative destruction technologies and barred the military from choosing a disposal method for weapons stockpiled in Kentucky and at the Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado.

In their letter, the lawmakers note that "the public has clearly expressed its opposition to the incineration of these weapons." The letter continues, "The message from the impacted communities has been as forceful as it has been clear: the community expects the relevant decision makers to conduct an honest evaluation of all viable technologies before making any decision on the method to be used" at Blue Grass.

"We are hopeful that we can continue to assist in anyway possible in the deployment of alternatives for the safe and timely destruction of the chemical weapons stored at" the Blue Grass Army Depot, the letter says.

McConnell and Sen. Jim Bunning (R), along with Reps. Edward Whitfield (R), Ron Lewis (R), Anne Northup (R), Ken Lucas (D), Harold Rogers (R) and Ernest Lee Fletcher (R) signed the letter.