U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell hosted a press conference Wednesday in Washington, D.C., to honor Craig Williams of Berea, who was the North American recipient of the 2006 Goldman Environmental Prize.

The $125,000 Goldman Environmental Prize, now in it's 17th year, was awarded Monday to Williams at the San Francisco Opera House.

"I'm here today for one reason and that's Craig Williams," said McConnell at Wednesday's press conference. "He has been my friend for 20 years, and an inspiration. He won this award because he dared to speak out against an immovable, hidebound bureaucracy - the Department of Defense - and he won. He is proof that sometimes, David really can slay Goliath."

Williams was recognized for the work he has done to convince the Pentagon to stop plans to incinerate old chemical weapons stockpiled at the Blue Grass Army Depot and around the United States.

He has worked to create a nationwide grassroots coalition (the Chemical Weapons Working Group) to lobby for safe disposal solutions.

Williams also co-founded the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, which won the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for its international campaign to ban land mines.

McConnell helped Williams draft language into a bill that forced the Pentagon to release funds for construction of the demilitarization site at the Blue Grass Army Depot. The funds originally were allotted only for research and development of the facility. The passage of this bill allowed the continuation of the demilitarization process.

The $125,000 Williams received will be used in many areas, he said. Part of the winnings will go to the CWWG organization and toward bonuses for his staff. There also will be debts paid that have been accumulated over the years, Williams said.

"Some of his biggest fans are his neighbors, the people of Madison County," McConnell said. "Imagine if you lived just a short distance away from over 500 tons of the deadliest materials ever conceived by man. Thanks to his activism, we are closer than we ever have been to taking tangible steps towards removing these heinous weapons from the face of the Earth once and for all."

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