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138th Year... and still on the job! |
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Cost
drives Pentagon to review chem demil
By PETER ROPER
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
The projected costs of cleaning up the chemical weapons at the Pueblo Chemical Depot and a similar depot in Kentucky have increased significantly above the $3.38 billion Congress has authorized, causing the Pentagon to conduct a mandatory cost review.
The Defense Department on Friday notified Sens. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., and Ken Salazar, D-Colo., that the review will not affect the goal of building a water neutralization system to destroy the mustard agent weapons at the Pueblo depot and dealing with any resulting waste on site.
"I was assured that any plans to transport the wastes off-site or recommend an incineration process instead are off the table," Allard said. "The review will not keep any work from going forward."
Defense Under Secretary Ken Krieg told Allard that because the projected cost of the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives program had grown by more than 25 percent above approved costs, a program review was mandatory.
Kathy DeWeese, an ACWA spokeswoman, said the review is expected to be completed over the next 60 days, when Krieg will make recommendations on how to lower the project costs.
"We need to stay the course to complete the cleanup of the Pueblo Chemical Depot," Salazar said in response to word of the review. "I understand the need for a review but I continue to believe we must move forward and uphold our commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention and the people of Pueblo."
Currently, the Pueblo project was expected to cost $1.5 billion while similar work at the Lexington Bluegrass Depot is expected to cost $2 billion. Federal law requires any project that grows over its expected costs by more than 25 percent to be subjected to a budget review.
The budget review process, authored by former Sens. Sam Nunn and James McCurdy, forces the Pentagon to determine whether the project is necessary for national security and whether there are cheaper alternatives to meet the project goals. The expected ACWA program costs have grown by at least $840 million in order to trigger the program review.
The U.S. is required by treaty to destroy its old chemical weapons and Allard said he is confident the ACWA program will be recertified for national security reasons.
"Meeting the chemical demilitarization treaty has been difficult all along and all aspects have been costly," he said.
Ross Vincent, a member of the Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens Advisory Committee, said one reason the project is above the projected budget is the Pentagon set some unrealistically low costs in past years.
"I think the managers of the current program have been looking at the actual costs and that has caused the project review," he said. "But it is a concern that as part of a review - given the Pentagon's tight budget - some people in the Defense Department may want to try and delay the work. But previous delays are another reason the costs have been going up, too."
Allard is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee as is Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Both have been key advocates for the ACWA program and in guaranteeing it gets funded.