for more information contact:
Craig Williams (859) 986 -7565
Ross Vincent (719) 561-3117
for immediate release: Thursday February 28, 2002
Colorado citizens groups got another important endorsement
in their efforts to use non-incineration technologies to dispose
of their stockpile of chemical weapons this week when Governor
Bill Owens weighed in backing neutralization as the preferred
method.
In a letter to Under Secretary of Defense "Pete" Aldridge,
Owens stated that it was clear that the community prefers neutralization
and urged Dr. Aldridge to, "honor the community preference."
In December, Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO) joined with local officials calling on the Pentagon to select the neutralization method, which, according to the Pueblo Chieftain, Allard said is "considered to be safer than incineration."
Earlier this month the Colorado Senate passed a resolution which also encouraged the Pentagon to choose the water-based neutralization disposal approach.
Ross Vincent, a senior policy advisor for the Sierra Club and Pueblo resident said, "We are appreciative and welcome the Governor's action to ensure that the citizens of Colorado get the most protective and cleanest technology available to deal with these munitions. Incineration is clearly the wrong choice from a public health and environmental standpoint. The neutralization-based approach is low pressure, low temperature and gives the operators much greater control over the agents while being processed. Every site in the nation should be going this way."
The Army is currently operating an incinerator in Tooele, Utah to burn chemical weapons which has been plagued with technical problems, agent releases, whistleblower allegations of safety cover ups and regulatory violations. They have also built incinerators in Alabama and Oregon and are building one in Arkansas. Citizens have sued the Army and their contractors at all these sites in an effort to stop this program and have the Army switch to safer, cleaner methods of disposal.
In a meeting last year, Pueblo County Commissioner John Klomp, a supporter of neutralization, put it this way, "When it comes to attracting businesses or tourists to our county we have two choices. We can tell them they are burning chemical weapons down the street, or that we are engaged in a billion dollar environmental restoration project. Which do you think would be more palatable? The image we present to the rest of the country is very important. It's an obvious choice."
The Army is currently constructing neutralization facilities at the stockpile sites in Maryland and Indiana and will decide which technology to use at the Kentucky site this summer. Since the Army choose incineration in 1982 there has been overwhelming opposition to that approach in all these states.
Craig Williams, Director of the Chemical Weapons Working Group, a national coalition of citizens groups opposed to incineration, said, "We are extremely pleased with the way things are going in Colorado. Our allies have worked hard to build support at the local, state and federal level over the years and it's paying off. Hopefully the Pentagon will pay attention to the unanimous choice of the people of that state and move forward with the neutralization based technology."
The final decision on which technology will be used in Colorado is due in May.
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