Pentagon releases money for depot; critics say it's not enough

By Ryan Garrett/Register News Writer

The Pentagon released $70 million of previously appropriated funds Wednesday for chemical weapons destruction plants at Blue Grass Army Depot and Pueblo (Colo.) Chemical Depot, but critics say the money is not enough to accomplish the task.

The funds, $30 million for Blue Grass and $40 million for Pueblo, are to be used for early construction and site improvements at the depots.

In a memo Wednesday, Michael W. Wynne, acting under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, instructed the agency in charge of destroying the weapons to keep the cost of the total project near $2 billion at Blue Grass and $1.5 billion at Pueblo.

Wynne also instructed the Program Manager for Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA) revise the milestones and cost targets for the project and to consider competition for future phases of the project.

The memo does not contain any commitment to build a disposal facility at either Blue Grass or Pueblo.

U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, D-6th District, said the released funds were a good start, but "not enough to move at the pace we need to." He and Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., whose district contains the Pueblo depot, will continue to lobby for full funding of the demilitarization effort, he said.

"At least they sent $30 million, which beats a kick in the shin," Chandler said.

Along with the $70 million - a portion of an estimated $400 million appropriated by Congress for the projects but frozen by the Defense Department - Wynne authorized the release of limited fiscal year 2005 research and development funds to accomplish the redesign effort.

"I have carefully reviewed the structure of the (Pueblo) contract, and I am concerned that it does not reflect a good balance of cost, schedule and performance objectives, and that there is not an incentive to achieve the program objectives," Wynne wrote.

"I believe the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant project has a similar contract structure because it is also experiencing similar cost growth," he continued.

Craig Williams, director of the Berea-based citizen's watchdog organization Chemical Weapons Working Group, said the release ignores the "essential need to get on with this program."

"This latest decision continues to place the citizens in Colorado or Kentucky at unnecessary risk," Williams said. "Once again, the Defense Department has placed costs above the safety of Americans in dealing with our own weapons of mass destruction. It is abhorrent."

"The funds released are barely 'life support' for these programs and do not move the disposal process forward significantly," Williams said. "Furthermore, the justifications cited in the memorandum for continuing to slow this program down are an exercise in manipulation and deception that requires immediate investigation by the United States Congress."

The release of the funds will allow the government and its contractor, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass, to continue with design work and to reschedule early construction activities at Blue Grass, according to an ACWA release.

Cost-saving changes being considered for the Blue Grass design will also involve public reviews in the upcoming months, according to the release.

Jim Fritsche, site project manager for Blue Grass, offered his take on the release of funds.

"Many of us on this project, both government and contractor, have been examining redesign options for the destruction facility," Fritsche said in an e-mail, noting that the funds are for tasks to be completed through Sept. 30.

"These design considerations have the potential to reduce costs and make the facility more affordable," he said.

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