Government officials were blasting the president's proposed budget cuts for the weapons demilitarization project at Blue Grass Army Depot on Monday, even as design work for the project continued.

Included in President George Bush's fiscal year 2006 budget, which he sent to Capitol Hill on Monday, were cuts of $110 million cut for the chemical weapon demilitarization program at Blue Grass. The proposed funding levels would postpone completion of the chemical demilitarization program at the depot for an additional three to six years.

"The President's budget request is the first step in a long process," Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a press release.

"Ever since cuts to the chemical demilitarization program were first rumored, I have made clear that I think such cuts are misguided," McConnell said. "And I will use my position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to ensure that the chemical agents are disposed of in a safe and expeditious manner."

Rep. Ben Chandler, D-6th district, also announced his disappointment in the cuts.

"It is irresponsible that the Administration continues to spend billions of dollars in Iraq, but will not fulfill its obligation to the citizens of Kentucky by funding the weapons disposal program at the Blue Grass Army Depot," Chandler said in a statement released by his office.

"While I understand the budgetary constraints within the Department of Defense, we have an immediate responsibility to the citizens of America to dispose of our chemical weapons stockpiles," Chandler said. "This funding is critical for the safety of our community, and I (am) committed to working with Sen. McConnell to increase the funding available for the program."

The numbers were no suprise for Craig Williams, director of the Berea-based Chemical Weapons Working Group, which last month released internal Pentagon budget re-quests that showed minimal funding levels through 2010.

"The budget request lines up exactly with the information the Chemical Weapons Working Group presented at it Kentucky press conference Jan. 12," Williams said. "It basically undermines our ability to move forward in any real fashion to address the risk of the presence of these weapons of mass destruction in our community."

The Department of Defense continues to fund Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass' design work, even as preliminary site contruction has been halted. No contracts related to contruction are being let and no workers are being hired.

Friday, Bechtel Parsons, the firm contracted to build and operate the chemical weapons disposal facility, delivered a scheduled installment of its design for the Munitions Demilitarization Building to the Program Manager for Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives.

Design of the building and equipment that will be used to extract and neurtralize the 523 tons of chemical agents stored at the depot is now 60 percent complete, ac-cording to Sandra Plant, manager of Bechtel Par-son's local outreach office.

"There are 240 people working on the (demilititarization) project today," Plant told the Madison County chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons on Monday.

Most of the 240 people working on the project are in San Diego or Pasadena, Calif., where design and testing is taking place, Plant said, but 32 people based in Richmond "are busy as bees."

The permitting process for the project is also "going well," Plant added.

No public comments were received on Bectel Parsons' application for a permit to build a pilot plant and demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed treatment method.

Plant noted that Bush's proposed budget was delivered to Congress on Monday and that decisions on the future of chemical weapons disposal at the depot rest with Congress and the administration.

Ryan Garrett can be reached at rgarrett@richmondregister.com or at 623-1669, Ext. 234.