for additional information contact:
Craig Williams: 859-986-7565
859-302-1103
EMBARGOED until 12:01 a.m.
Sunday, June 4, 2006
PROPOSED $40 MILLION CUT TO
CHEMICAL WEAPONS DISPOSAL IN KY AND CO WILL COST TAXPAYERS $220 MILLION
Internal Pentagon Document Shows
Long-Term Costs of Short-Term Cuts
In what the Chemical Weapons Working Group (CWWG) identifies
as an "unofficial" internal document, the Pentagon estimates that the $40
million in cuts for CW disposal in Kentucky and Colorado for FY '07 as proposed
by a House subcommittee will wind up costing taxpayers more than five times
that amount in the long run.
According to CWWG Director Craig Williams, this document confirms his statement
on May 17 that "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."
The document states, "Including all costs associated
with storing the stockpiles in Pueblo and Blue Grass for an additional year,
the total cost impact to DoD would be nearly $220 million."
The document also supports the CWWG position that such
a reduction would set the disposal project back by up to one year -this on
the heels of having lost at least a year when the Pentagon froze over $300
million in 2005. Those funds were subsequently restored through Congressional
efforts spearheaded by Senator Mitch McConnell (R- KY).
"It appears that the Pentagon finally recognizes the
need for adequate funding and now it is the Congress that is missing the
point," said Williams. "Hopefully in the near future everyone will
'get it' at the same time, so we won't be dealing with this sort of problem
every fiscal year," he said.
The Pentagon document is internal and has not been
released to the public, nor has it been transmitted to Congressional members
and thus is considered "unofficial." However, according to Williams,
"We felt it important to share the information with House members as soon
as possible so they can appreciate the impact of their proposed cuts on communities
and the US obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention Treaty.
Hopefully they will rethink their ill-conceived cuts."
--30-
Copies of the document are available upon request
from the CWWG office.
