For decades, the U.S. Army has stored more than 2,600 tons of mustard gas at its chemical weapons depot 15 miles east of Pueblo. The stockpile is to be destroyed as part of compliance with an international treaty, but the Pentagon recently sent jaws dropping by holding up funding for the effort.

We were glad to see that cooler heads have prevailed as the Pentagon released word that funding has been restored.

Of course the progress of the effort requires utmost vigilance, for past commitments have not always been kept. All of Colorado's Capitol Hill delegation, especially in the House, must pay continued attention to the matter.

Three years ago, the Army agreed to destroy the 780,078 shells with an innovative method using microbes. Studies had shown that shipping the shells to other disposal sites around the country would be expensive and risky, so the best solution is to destroy the munitions in a new facility built at the depot.

But officials in the Pentagon's labyrinth tried to scuttle the plan by diverting money from Pueblo to other weapons disposal projects. That would have meant returning to the discredited idea of shipping the fragile shells from Pueblo to other states.

Two events seem to have put the Pueblo project back on track. The Pentagon did an about-face and agreed to stick to its original plan of destroying the shells at Pueblo. Army officials said they will resume planning and budgeting for construction of the $2.6 billion facility. A vote today on the Senate floor could be equally important. Republican Sen. Wayne Allard is seeking to amend the Defense Department's supplemental budget to block the Army from spending money to even study shipping the shells from Pueblo to another disposal site. Allard deserves enormous credit for his work on the issue, as do Democratic congressional newcomers Sen. Ken Salazar and Rep. John Salazar, whose district includes Pueblo.

Taken at face value, the Pentagon announcement seems to settle the issue. Trouble is, the Pentagon has played such games with the project that Colorado officials must still watch the matter carefully.

Now the action moves to the U.S. House, which must agree to Allard's amendment for it to become law. John Salazar and Republican Joel Hefley of Colorado Springs likely will push the issue. If the game were baseball, Allard's base hit got Colorado in position to score an important run. Now it's up to Colorado's House members to help the runner make it home.