SENATORS FIGHT CURBING OF CHEMICAL ARMS FUND U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning have written to the Pentagon
in hopes of averting another battle over funding for the chemical neutralization
plant to be built at Blue Grass Army Depot. The Kentucky Republicans hope to stop an effort to restrict the budget
for the agency overseeing the project to $33 million for fiscal 2007. They
urged Undersecretary of Defense Kenneth Krieg to spend $300 million to $400
million annually for Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives, which is also
overseeing chemical destruction in Colorado. Past Pentagon mismanagement led the Office of Management and Budget to
judge the chemical demilitarization program "ineffective," according to the
letter, which also was signed by Colorado's senators. The letter also reminded Krieg that he has not responded to requests that
the Pentagon provide an accounting of the money spent, due July 10; and that
it stop adhering to outdated and arbitrary cost estimates of $2 billion for
the Blue Grass plant and $1.5 billion for the plant in Pueblo, Colo.