Published: February 22, 2007 08:35 am

Fletcher rallies for swift destruction

Ronica Shannon
Register News Writer

Gov. Ernie Fletcher is urging the Department of Defense to continue with weapons disposal efforts as originally planned, instead of pushing the destruction deadline back to 2023.

Fletcher teamed with Senate President David Williams and Speaker of the House Jody Richards to write a letter sent Feb. 8 to Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England.

Other signatures on the letter included state Sen. Ed Worley and state Rep. Harry Moberly.

Recent news from the Pentagon is worrisome to many stakeholders because according to the proposal, the project will be spread out over a longer period of time to save approximately $150 million over the span of both projects.

Based on the Pentagon's new plan, destruction of the chemical weapons stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot would not begin until 2017 and would be completed by 2023, which allows 10-12 years for construction and five years for the actual destruction of the weapons.

"Complete destruction of the stockpile located at the Blue Grass Army Depot would be completed by 2015 if adequate funds were provided," Fletcher wrote. "Adding eight years to the length of time these weapons are stored in Madison County is of great concern to us and to many of the citizens we represent. The continued storage of these agents and munitions poses a risk to the workers safeguarding these weapons, other work force personnel at the depot and citizens in the community."

The letter cited numerous reports identifying the risks associated with the continuing to store the weapons in Kentucky, noting that the Army's own analysis shows more than 20,000 fatalities under a worst-case accident.

"The only way to eliminate risks is to expedite the disposal effort," Fletcher said.

In 1994, the National Research Council found that the M55 rocket presents the most serious threat to public safety from an accident initiated by a weapon in storage.

The Government Accounting Office reported that an accident involving one munition could potentially affect many munitions.

Fletcher's letter reminds England that expanding the timeline for weapons destruction would not be in correlation with the country’Äôs international treaty obligations.

"We urge you to fully fund this project in the interests of swift disposal, and most importantly, in the fulfilling of the military's foremost responsibility -- the protection of the citizens of the United States of America," he wrote.

Craig Williams, director of the Chemical Weapons Working Group, said it was refreshing to hear the bipartisan message.

"It complements the position of our delegation in Washington and is an important statement reflecting the unity between the local, state and federal levels," he said. "It also shows that when it comes to getting rid of weapons here at home, party politics can take a back seat to protecting our citizens."