October 16, 1998
The Honorable William Cohen
Department of Defense Secretary
1000 Defense, Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301-1000
Dear Secretary Cohen,
Due to the success of the Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment (ACWA) program, we respectfully request that you dedicate the funding appropriated by Congress to complete the demonstrations of all six alternative treatment technologies that passed the stringent criteria within the ACWA program.
The funding for the demonstrations is identified in Section 8127 of the FY 99 Defense Appropriations Bill. As you are aware, the ACWA program performs the critical task of destroying our nation's chemical weapons. The Defense Appropriations Act for FY 99, at the direction of Congress, includes an earmark of $25 million to support the full demonstration of the ACWA program.
The ACWA program implements technologies to destroy the nation's chemical weapons stockpile in a manner more protective of public health and safety than the current baseline incineration program. These technologies are more protective of human health and the environment and more acceptable to communities across this nation.
Furthermore, ACWA will assure this nation's ability to meet its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention by accelerating the destruction of our chemical weapons stockpile. The modest amount of money involved in this phase of the program provides a sound investment for the American people. Moreover, the ACWA program will help accelerate our nation's ability to deploy cutting-edge technologies to destroy Superfund waste, hazardous waste, and such things as napalm, obsolete pesticides and a host of military wastes. Furthermore, since clean disposal technologies are in high demand around the world, ACWA acts as an investment in America's economic and environmental future by supporting innovative, alternative remediation technologies.
If these alternative technologies are not employed, wastes will continue to be burned in predominately low income and minority communities, releasing hazardous air pollutants into our air and persistent, bioaccumulative toxins into our food chain and waterways. Many scientists insist that these toxins are harmful to children and cause neurological damage, cancer, and respiratory diseases. Because of past disposal practices, many of these toxins are already at levels in the environment that exceed health based standards.
Once again, we request your prompt action in assuring that the funding appropriated by Congress is available for the ACWA program to fully demonstrate all six of the technologies that have passed its technical criteria.
By taking this action, you allow the ACWA program to achieve its mission and enhance our nation's ability to meet our treaty obligations and much more.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL), Member of CongressHoward McKeon (CA), Member of Congress
Jim Bunning (KY), Member of Congress
Scotty Baesler (KY), Member of Congress
Peter DeFazio (OR), Member of Congress
Diana DeGette (CO), Member of Congress
Ron Lewis (KY), Member of Congress
Rod Blagojevich (IL), Member of Congress
Joseph Kennedy (MA), Member of Congress
Bob Riley (AL), Member of Congress
Scott McInnis (CO), Member of Congress
Hal Rogers (KY), Member of Congress
Anne Northup (KY), Member of Congress
Patsy Mink (HI), Member of Congress
Neil Abercrombie (HI), Member of Congress
Loretta Sanchez (CA), Member of Congress
Ellen O. Tauscher (CA), Member of Congress
Patrick Kennedy (RI), Member of Congress
Duncan Hunter (CA), Member of Congress
Mary Bono (CA), Member of Congress
Bernie Sanders (VT), Member of Congress
Bob Schaffer (CO), Member of Congress
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