Allard wants Pentagon nominee to commit to chem demil funding

By JOHN NORTON
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., said Wednesday that he is considering putting a hold on the nomination of Kenneth Krieg. Krieg has been nominated to replace current Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisitions and Logistics Michael Wynne.

Wynne's department has been responsible for holding up work on a weapons destruction project at the Pueblo Chemical Depot. He released funds two weeks ago, just days before the Senate passed a supplemental appropriations bill that included an order that the money be spent and all further studies of alternatives ceased.

Allard said, “I continue to have many concerns about the Department of Defense’s programmatic decisions regarding the Pueblo Depot cleanup project.

“I want to hear about his commitment to use neutralization technology to destroy the chemical weapons at Pueblo, and to not transport the weapons to a different site for destruction.”

The funds released were for this year and represent enough carryover for the work in the 2006 fiscal year. “And I also want assurances that the department will fully fund this project in its FY 2007 budget request, and beyond,” Allard added.

Allard scheduled a meeting with Kreig today. Although the Senate Armed Services Committee has conducted a hearing regarding the nomination, no date has been set for it to be brought to the floor.