Published: November
17, 2006
Senate
action could secure $140 million
Bill must pass House before going to Bush
Register News Writer
An action of the Senate on Wednesday could help secure $140 million for the chemical demilitarization process at Kentucky and Colorado storage facilities.
The original request was for $130 million, but Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell submitted a successful amendment that added an extra $10 million to the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA) program.
The funding came after the passage of the 2007 Military Construction, Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act.
The bill must now pass the House before going to the president to be signed into law.
It is expected to pass by a wide majority, because differences between the House and Senate versions were ironed out before the election break, said Craig Williams, director of the Berea-based Chemical Weapons Working Group.
Williams and his organization have closely followed the demilitarization process and serve as a community watchdog to ensure the weapons are destroyed safely and as soon as possible.
The group also has kept a close watch on the Department of Defense to make sure funding allotted for the demilitarization projects are spent properly and in a timely manner.
"Every dollar counts now that preliminary construction activities have begun," Williams said. "The citizens are watching the funding levels very carefully and they are extremely appreciative of Senator McConnell's efforts to ensure this project continues to move forward."
In addition to the extra $10 million in funding, McConnell also obtained $215 million for ACWA in the FY'07 Defense Appropriations bill, which will bring the total funding for this year to nearly $360 million.
Several weeks ago, McConnell participated in the official groundbreaking for the chemical neutralization plant at the Blue Grass Army Depot.
"I am glad that progress is being made toward the disposal of chemical weapons in Madison County," McConnell said. "While the recent groundbreaking is significant, I will not rest until these weapons are safely destroyed."
Last year, McConnell inserted a provision into an appropriations bill that prevented ACWA funds from being spent at other sites and forced Department of Defense to begin spending funds for disposal efforts at the Blue Grass Army Depot storage site and the one in Pueblo, Colo.
He also encouraged the department to request between $300 million and $400 million for ACWA in FY'07.
The department responded by requesting $350 million, which was $317 million above its request in FY'06.
If adequate funding continues to be provided, construction is scheduled to be completed in 2011 at the Richmond site and 2010 in Colorado.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.