for more information contact:
Craig Williams 859-986-7565
for immediate release: Monday, November 19, 2001
PRES. BUSH/CONGRESS RECEIVE CITIZENS' CALL FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION TO ELIMINATE CHEMICAL WEAPONS THREAT BY NEUTRALIZING AGENT
Communities Near Chemical Weapons Storage Sites Await Response
Today, a letter to President George W. Bush arrived at the White House urging immediate attention be given to the risk of continuing to store chemical weapons in communities across the country in light of the events of September 11th. Copies of the Bush letter were also furnished to members of Congress.
Citing recent Pentagon reports that show the current incineration program taking an additional 7 to 15 years to dispose of the dangerous warfare agents, citizens in communities near chemical weapons storage sites are calling for a safer, yet quicker solution.
Focusing on Army engineering designs and the Pentagon's own Safety Contingency Plan for disassembly of these weapons, the Chemical Weapons Working Group (CWWG), a coalition of citizens groups in impacted regions of the country, have asked the President and Congress not to wait on the Army's existing program to eliminate the threat these deadly chemicals pose. The CWWG also pointed to the National Research Council's (NRC) strategy of neutralizing the agents once the weapons are taken apart. The NRC articulated this approach in 1993 stating that if deployed, "International treaty obligations for demilitarization would be met and the risk of continued agent storage eliminated."
"What we want the President and Congress to do," said Craig Williams, CWWG national spokesperson, "is to act decisively and quickly. The incineration program is already 16 years behind schedule - waiting another 15 years, when there are safer, less time-consuming methods available just doesn't make sense."
The Working Group has called on Bush and the Congress to create a Task Force to "make a determination regarding the viability and swift implementation of the disassembly and neutralization approach," and to issue its recommendation within 60 days or less of the Task Force's formation.
"The engineering designs are there, the Pentagon's Safety Contingency Plan is there and the science is there," said Williams, "this is not the time to allow the bankrupt incineration program to continue defending itself while we sit in the shadow of this deadly material."
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Regional CWWG Contacts:
Alabama: Brenda Lindell: 256-236-1496
Maryland: John Nunn: 410-778-5968
Rufus Kinny: 256-435-4743
Oregon: Karyn Jones: 541-567-6581
Arkansas: Evelyn Yates : 870-534-0515
Bob Palzer: 541-282-2492
Colorado: Ross Vincent: 719-561-3117
Kentucky: Dick Futrell: 859-527-3352
Anne Cain: 719-489-2056
Utah: Jason Groeneward: 801-364 5110
Indiana: Sara Morgan : 765-498-4472
Cindy King: 801-486-9848
Copies of the Bush letter are available from the CWWG or on line at
<www.cwwg.org>.
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