Published: February 04, 2008 12:16 pm

Pentagon pushes for earlier destruction of depot weapons

By Ronica Shannon
Register News Writer

A hefty $49 million funding increase and the potential implementation of a 2012-2017 timeframe are the results of a letter drafted Dec. 5, 2007, by U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell to Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates.

Gates responded to McConnell’s letter Jan. 11 vowing he was "prepared to recommend that the fiscal year 2009 president’s budget reflect an addition that brings the budget amount for the ACWA (Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternative) to around $400 million."

That amount will be shared between the Blue Grass Army Depot and a chemical weapons storage facility in Pueblo, Colo.

Prior to this announcement, the funding for the ACWA program had been set at $351 million.

"I am pleased that Secretary Gates agreed with me about the importance of increasing funding for chemical weapons disposal," McConnell said. "His decision to provide nearly $50 million more in his budget request for the ACWA program will help ensure that the chemical weapons stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot are not only disposed of safely, but also more quickly."

Funding cuts, freezes and other delays have plagued the depot’s weapons destruction mission for years, pushing the deadline possibly to 2023.

"A significant aspect of this problem has been that typically DOD has requested insufficient funding in its budget requests for disposal efforts at BGAD (and at other sites nationwide for that matter)," McConnell wrote.

His provision in the 2008 fiscal year Department of Defense Appropriations Act required the DOD to dispose of the entire U.S. chemical weapon stockpile by 2017.

The result of the provision was two-fold in that the DOD was legally obligated to complete disposal by 2017 and had to obtain the appropriate amount of funding to meet the deadline.

"I write to bring to your attention this provision and to ensure that DOD requests sufficient funds in fiscal year 2009 to put it on a clear path toward full compliance with this provision," McConnell’s letter states. "In doing so, the fiscal year 2009 funding request for BGAD should not be less than full funding for the program."

Gates declared that the DOD would be obligated to report its progress directly to Congress.

"The department (DOD) is conducting assessments to determine available options and alternatives for destroying the remaining chemical weapons stockpile by 2012, but not later than 2017," Gates wrote.

Craig Williams, director of the Berea-based Chemical Weapons Working Group, called the recent actions "a tremendous sign."

"Kentucky’s schedule was 2023," Williams said. "It signifies that the Pentagon recognizes the importance of eliminating the risks associated with these stockpiles of weapons. Also, now instead of annual fiscal considerations driving the program schedule, the funding will have to be provided to adhere to the legislated timetable. This is a complete and welcome shift in the paradigm."

Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.