Editorial
Posted on
Mon, Oct. 09, 2006
Get all facts about depot
At issue: Sept. 21 commentary by
Herald-Leader contributing columnist
Frank Kourt, "WMD in Madison Co., not Iraq"
Director of the Chemical Weapons Working Group
While Frank Kourt's column expressed valid concerns about the chemical weapons stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, he may not have a complete understanding of the situation.
Like Kourt, all of us in Central Kentucky want the stockpile of lethal weapons gone. We have lived in the shadow of these weapons for a long time, and yes, as he suggests, there have been plenty of leaks. And yes, the risk of continued storage remains as long as the weapons are not destroyed.
However, I want to assure Kourt that the Army, with continued encouragement and oversight by local citizens and elected officials, is in the process of ensuring that these weapons are destroyed as expeditiously and safely as possible.
And, although there have been battles over where and how the weapons should be destroyed, we can take heart that significant progress has been made toward that end.
In 2003, the Army formally decided to neutralize rather than incinerate the stockpile, and this safer neutralization process will be done on-site at the depot. The weapons aren't going to New Jersey or anywhere else.
In fact, site preparation for construction of the multimillion dollar neutralization facility is well under way. Roads are being built, utility lines are being run and soon concrete will be poured. After 20 years of discussion and debate, we are finally seeing the tangible results of our efforts, and it is exciting.
These steps forward have come slowly and only with the combined and non-stop efforts of local residents and elected officials, especially our federal legislators.
For instance, thanks to Sen. Mitch McConnell -- who has time after time forced the Pentagon to cough up enough money to keep the project sufficiently funded and most recently successfully worked to increase the 2007 budget request from $33 million to almost $350 million -- beginning construction of the facility can proceed without delay.
In addition, the Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board, which Kourt referred to as the "citizens' board" and part of the "blah, blah, blah" -- is a critical element for ensuring that the concerns and desires of the community are given the highest priority during the Army's execution of the destruction process.
As co-chairman of this unique and diverse group, I can say that without these dedicated volunteers, the skepticism reflected in Kourt's column would be well-founded.
But through the work of the advisory board and with the cooperative and unprecedented openness of all governmental and contracted project managers, the level of confidence that Kentuckians can have in the successful and safe destruction of our stockpile surpasses that of any other stockpile community.
Of course, as Kourt pointed out, we'll all be receiving Emergency Preparedness Calendars for a while yet. But the good news is that the weapons disposal project is well on its way, and determined people -- including local residents, project managers and elected officials -- continue to ensure that it stays on track.