WASHINGTON, D.C.
DEPOT AMENDMENT ADVANCES
The U.S. Senate approved an amendment by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., yesterday.
The measure should ensure that ground is broken next year for a $2 billion
plant to destroy chemical weapons at Blue Grass Army Depot. The amendment
doesn't provide new money, but enables the plant's designers to use $51 million
in research and development funds for construction, the senator's office
announced last night.
"Without this change ... we would be back to where we were earlier this year, which is basically stopped," said Craig Williams of the Berea-based Chemical Weapons Working Group. The money will enable design work to continue and construction on roads and some other facilities to begin next year.