MCCONNELL GETS $20 MILLION ADDED
TO DEFENSE BILL FOR KY AND CO CHEM WEAPONS DISPOSAL PROJECTS
Increase Will Ensure Adequate Funds through FY '06 for Both Sites
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
announced today that the FY 2006 Defense Authorization legislation, approved
by the Senate Armed Services Committee last Thursday, added $20 million in
funding to the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA) program to
be used for the chemical weapons demilitarization facilities at the Blue
Grass Army Depot, Kentucky and the Pueblo Chemical Activity in Colorado,
bringing the total amount authorized to $53 million.
The President's budget request for FY '06 for both sites was only $33 million,
based on the Pentagon's designating them as "caretaker" sites for the next
five years. Such a designation meant that no significant actions would
be undertaken to erect disposal facilities until 2011.
The Chemical Weapons Convention requires the U.S. to destroy its entire stockpile
of chemical
weapons by the year 2012.
After Sen. McConnell inserted a provision in the FY 2005 Supplemental Appropriations
Bill last month directing the Department to release over $300 million in
FY '05 funds and to obligate $100 million of that in Kentucky and Colorado
within 120 days, the U.S. Department of Defense ordered the ACWA projects
to move forward.
The additional 2006 funds will ensure uninterrupted progress towards the
goal of destroying the more than 880,000 weapons stored at both sites.
"With this additional funding we took another important step toward the safe
disposal of the chemical weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass Army Depot,"
said Sen. McConnell.
The legislation next goes to the full Senate for approval and must be approved
by the House of Representatives as well.
"Sen. McConnell doesn't miss a beat in his oversight of this program," said
Craig Williams, Director of the Berea based Chemical Weapons Working Group.
"Working with Sen. Allard (R-CO) and others on the Hill, he has gone to extraordinary
lengths to keep the ACWA project moving. This, in spite of the many preposterous
hurdles the Pentagon has placed on the path to successful program implementation."
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