KENTUCKY and COLORADO CHEM WEAPONS
DISPOSAL FUNDING UNDER ATTACK ONCE AGAIN
House Bill Proposes Cuts in '07 Construction Funds
The U.S. House of Representatives
has proposed cutting $40 million from the Pentagon's chemical demilitarization
military construction budget request for fiscal year 2007. The Senate has
yet to bring forth their version of '07 Defense Bill.
Since CO and KY are the only chemical de-mil sites
in line for construction funding, the cut impacts only these two locations.
The budget request asked for $131 million, but the
House Committee is recommending $91 million, stating in their report, "[T]he
Committee notes that there are currently sufficient funds to continue planning
activities and begin construction in fiscal year 2007."
Craig Williams, Director of the Chemical Weapons
Working Group (CWWG) said, "I don't think the House Committee fully appreciates
how much progress can be achieved in 2007 if adequate funds are available
to expedite the projects at the two sites. Clearly, cutting construction
funds for next year will negatively impact the progress towards disposal."
Last year it was the Pentagon who proposed cutting
over $300 million for disposal projects in CO and KY, but citizens, along
with their elected officials, succeeded in getting those funds restored.
"We've already had a setback of over a year due to
the funding debacle last time," said Ross Vincent of the Colorado Citizen's
Advisory Commission. "If this $40 million cut holds, it will set both sites
back at least another year."
Colorado Representative John Salazar said, "I am
frustrated that the safe, timely and responsible destruction of chemical
weapons stored in Colorado and Kentucky may again be delayed due to shortsighted
and misguided funding priorities, in this case by the House Appropriations
Committee. We have worked hard over the past year and a half to get the ACWA
program back on track within DOD as reflected in President's budget request.
It seems the appropriators in the House do not value the hard work and progress
made. My hope is that we will be able to restore funding as the process moves
forward in order to continue towards the destruction of chemical weapons
in Colorado and Kentucky."
Initial construction (site preparation/road building)
has begun at both locations, but major efforts associated with actually
building the disposal plants are slated to begin later this year and continue
into next several years.
"Although the recommended decrease by the House is
small compared to last year's gutting of the disposal effort, its impact
is significant as steady and consistent progress is necessary for the project
to remain on schedule," said Williams. "Ultimately what may be seen as a
short term cost savings by the House will result in the increase in actual
expenditures over the life of the project as schedules are extended"
Kentucky Representative Ben Chandler said, "It is
extremely unfortunate that the Committee has reduced chemical demilitarization
spending at a time when the Defense Department has acknowledged that the United
States is behind in meeting our treaty deadline for disposal. We must get
this program off the ground and running at the Bluegrass Army Depot; therefore,
it is imperative that the funding is returned to its previous level during
conference committee. I will do all I can to make sure that happens."
For the good of the affected communities, Williams
says that Congress must adopt a "long term vision around this effort, rather
than a fiscal year to fiscal year cost cutting approach that benefits no
one."
--30 --
Copies of the Committee language are available upon request from
the CWWG.
