Peoples Daily (China)
August 10, 2003

US Army Begins Destroying Chemical Weapons

The US Army began to destroy chemical weapons in the state of Alabama on Saturday by firing up its first chemical weapons incinerator.

The US Army began to destroy chemical weapons in the state of Alabama on Saturday by firing up its first chemical weapons incinerator.

The first weapon destroyed was a six-foot-long (1.8 meters long)rocket, which contained 1.2 gallons (5.5 liters) of sarin, a deadly nerve agent, and designed to fly about six miles (9.6 km).

The Army has prepared for years for the incineration of thousands of shells and rockets loaded with deadly chemicals, fighting off legal challenges from opponents who argued that the process is not safe.

The Army, which was handing out protective hoods and other safety gear to many of the 35,000 people living near the Anniston incinerator in northeastern Alabama, planned to destroy as many 10 rockets this weekend at its base in Alabama and increase to a rate of 40 rockets an hour by next year.

The incineration was made possible following a final clearance from a federal judge Friday for the 1 billion dollar project.

The judge rejected the pleas of environmental and civil rights groups for an injunction to stop the incineration who claimed that the incineration represents an imminent danger.

The military argued that incinerating the weapons is far safer than keeping them at the Army depot, where nearly 700,000 munitions have been stored for more than 40 years.

The process is expected to take seven years, the Army said.