WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell joined Senator Wayne Allard today in introducing legislation to prohibit the shipment of chemical weapons from any Army installation, including the Blue Grass Army Depot located in Richmond, Kentucky.
 
Senator McConnell released the following statement today:
 
Mr. President, one of the first meetings I had as a U.S. Senator 20 years ago was about the aging chemical weapons stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond, Kentucky.  At the time, the Army was ignoring the concerns of the community and attempting to incinerate the weapons irrespective of the potential risk.
 
"Not much has changed.
 
"I have spent the last 20 years fighting for the citizens of Kentucky who live in proximity to these dangerous weapons, and although the party responsible for the weapons is now the Department of Defense, the problem remains the same.  Those responsible for the destruction of the chemical stockpiles are ignoring the best interests and concerns of the citizens who live near them.
 
"Every time I have helped the community to clear a hurdle, whether it was to force the Army to investigate alternative technologies to incineration or the creation of a new organization to manage the new method of demilitarization, a new obstacle has been put in the path of stockpile destruction.  Currently, the citizens of Kentucky and Colorado are being robbed to pay for the massive cost overruns at incineration sites throughout the country.
 
"The budgets for demilitarization at Blue Grass and Pueblo have been slashed, and the money has been transferred to other accounts in spite of the fact that Blue Grass and Pueblo had succeeded in securing permits from the local environmental agencies in record time.  The Assembled Chemical Weapons Agency, which has been tasked with managing the demilitarization of these stockpiles, is respected and trusted by the community.  And I believe the Department's decision to cut funding for ACWA in the FY06 budget is a slap in the face to the citizens of Kentucky and Colorado, and an insult to the fine people at ACWA.
 
"Now the Department has suggested it wants to transport the weapons from these depots through our communities to incineration sites.  This will not happen so long as I am a U.S. Senator.
 
"After the time and energy I have expended on ensuring these weapons are disposed of in a safe and environmentally friendly manner, I am personally insulted by the Department's efforts to delay destruction and its suggestion of transporting the weapons elsewhere.
 
"The Department has an obligation to the citizens of Kentucky and Colorado to dispose of these stockpiles in an expeditious and safe manner.  Congress and the Department, working with the communities, certified an alternative means of disposal, and it is unacceptable for the Department to walk away from this promise.  Destruction of stockpiles at Blue Grass and Pueblo deserves full funding from the Department of Defense, and I will work to put the demilitarization of these stockpiles back on schedule.
 
"I want to thank my friend, Senator Allard, for his efforts to safely dispose of these dangerous stockpiles.  As a member of the Armed Services Committee, Senator Allard was a tireless advocate for the citizens of Colorado who live near these weapons.  I am happy to welcome Senator Allard to the Appropriations Committee, where I look forward to working with him to ensure that Blue Grass and Pueblo receive the funding attention that is so long overdue.
 
"Although the Department may come to its senses and decide not to pursue the shipment of decaying stockpiles of chemical weapons through suburban Kentucky or Colorado, I've come to learn that trusting the best judgment of the folks in charge of this program is never a sure bet.  For that reason, I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of Senator Allard's legislation, which will prohibit the shipment of chemical weapons from any Army installation.  These weapons need to be destroyed, but they need to be destroyed safely at the locations where they currently are stored.  Moving 60-year-old stockpiles of leaking mustard agent is not a solution to a budget problem, it is a recipe for disaster."