Army reorganizes demilitarization
DOD transfers oversight responsibility

By Frank Lockwood
Staff writer

The Army has reorganized the chemical weapons demolition program.

The Department of Defense announced last week that oversight of the Chemical Weapons Disposal Program had transferred from the Assistant Secretary of Army's Acquisition, Logistics and Technology to the Assistant Secretary of Army's Installations and Environment.

The move consolidates responsibilities for the program, which was previously divided between the two offices.

Acquisition, Logistics and Technology had been responsible for the overall oversight,
management, direction and execution of the program, while the Installations and Environment had provided policy and oversight for environment, safety, occupational health and chemical stockpile emergency preparedness.

Effective immediately, responsibility for all aspects for the program rests with the Army's Installations and Environment.

According to the Department of Defense press release, Dr. Mario Fiori, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations and Environment) said of the new assignment: "I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with all interested parties to ensure the safe destruction of America's stored chemical weapons. The Army, the eight states, and the communities where the stockpile is stored are firm partners in seeing this project to a successful conclusion. We will work together to achieve our goal of destroying the last chemical weapon in this country's stockpile."

Direct management of the weapons disposal program will continue to be provided by the Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization, James Bacon, headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

Bacon is responsible for the safe destruction of all chemical agents and weapons stored at eight sites within the United States as well as the disposal of recovered chemical weapons and former chemical weapons production sites.

The Office of the Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization (PMCD) was established in 1985 at the direction of Congress and given responsibility for disposal of the complete U.S. stockpile of chemical agents, and munitions. In November 2000, the program finished destroying chemical weapons stored at Johnston Island. The combined operations of the Johnston Island facility and the Tooele, Utah facility have destroyed more than 15 million pounds of chemical agent (24 percent of the nation's total). Disposal facilities in Anniston, Al., and Umatilla, Ore. are complete and are now undergoing final systems checks. Facilities are under construction at Pine Bluff, Ark., Newport, Ind., and Edgewood, Md. Combined; these six facilities will destroy 90 percent of the nation's stockpile. Disposal technology decisions are pending for sites in Richmond, Ky., and Pueblo, Colo.

Anti-incineration groups had anticipated the move since Senators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) called for restructuring the Chemical Demilitarization last May.  Incineration opponents had alleged that program officials had provided misleading testimony before Congress during an April hearing before the Senate Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations.

Craig Williams of Chemical Weapons Working Group said he looked forward to working with Fiori.  Williams has advocated for neutralization of chemical agents in Hermiston/Umatilla as well as at other sites, though the official Army position has been that such technology is not yet proven and that it would be a step backwards to abandon baseline incineration.

Alternative views on incineration may be seen on the internet  at www.cwwg.org.

More official information is available onthe internet at www.dtic.mil/armylink/ and at www-pmcd.apgea.army.mil.