Depot, Pueblo may get more funds
Ronica Brandenburg/Register News Writer

An additional $20 million in funding may be on the way for chemical weapons demilitarization facilities at the Blue Grass Army Depot and Pueblo Chemical Activity in Colorado.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Tuesday that the fiscal year 2006 Defense Authorization legislation passed Thursday by the Senate Armed Services Committee included the $20 million. The legislation calls for an additional $20 million in funding for the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA) program for the Richmond and Pueblo sites, but does not designate how much for each.

The president's fiscal year 2006 budget request for both sites was $33 million. This amount was based on the Pentagon's designating them as "caretaker" sites for the next five years, instead of progressing with the construction of neutralization plants at each site. This action would have delayed the destruction of chemical weapons, which are required to be destroyed by 2012, according to an international treaty.

"With this additional funding, we took another important step toward the safe disposal of the chemical weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass Army Depot," McConnell said. "The legislation must go to the full Senate for approval and must be approved by the House of Representatives as well."

The additional funding ensures the uninterrupted progress toward the goal of destroying the more than 880,000 weapons stored at both sites.

"Senator McConnell doesn't miss a beat in his oversight on this program," said Craig Williams, director of the Berea-based Chemical Weapons Working Group, a citizen's watchdog organization. "Working with (Colorado) Senator Allard and others on the hill, he has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the ACWA project moving in spite of the many preposterous hurdles the Pentagon has placed on the path to successful program implementation."

U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler (D-6th District), who also has been a strong supporter of continuing the demilitarization project and disposing of the weapons as quickly as possible, said any additional funds made available for the depot would be extremely helpful.

"This is an excellent development in a multi-step appropriations process," Chandler said. "I believe this illustrates the importance of the entire Kentucky delegation working together to ensure the Blue Grass disposal project stay on schedule."  

The destruction of chemical weapons at the Blue Grass and Pueblo sites is back on schedule after Bush signed the 2005 Supplemental Spending Bill last week that will sustain the flow of funding for the demilitarization project.

McConnell also is responsible for introducing the language into the Supplemental Spending Bill to ensure the timely disposal of chemical weapons and that all funding is spent appropriately.

"We are now a significant step closer to seeing these weapons destroyed in a timely manner," Williams said. "He (McConnell) has acted with precision, diligence and persistence in making sure the safety of Kentuckians comes first. We all owe him a substantial debt of gratitude for his outstanding efforts and leadership on this issue."

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