PROGRAM: Fox News at 10
STATION: WDRB-TV Fox 41
CITY/STATE: Louisville, KY
DATE/TIME: 02-05-2007 at 22:00

500 TONS OF LETHAL CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONTINUE TO SIT AND DETERIORATE AT THE BLUE GRASS ARMY DEPO IN RICHMOND, KENTUCKY. THERES A NEW SET BACK IN THE LONG EFFORT TO DESTROY THEM. >> A MAN WHO DEVOTED MORE THAN 20 YEARS TO THE SAFE DISPOSAL OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS IS GEARING UP FOR ANOTHER FIGHT. >>
 
REPORTER: A MAN NAME CRAIG WILLIAMS LIVES NEAR THE BLUE GRASS DEPOT HERE WITHOUT KNOWING MUCH ABOUT IT. WILLIAMS LIFE CHANGED DRAMATICALLY BACK IN 1984 WHEN AN COMPANY ANNOUNCED THE DANGEROUS CHEMICAL WEAPONS WERE STORED HERE. WEAPONS THAT INCLUDED MUSTARD GAS PROJECTORS DATING BACK TO THE 40S. WEAPONS THAT NEEDED TO BE DESTROYED. >> "I DIDNT KNOW THEY WERE STORED HERE. NEITHER DID MOST OF THE COMMUNITY DIDNT KNOW THEY WERE HERE."

 >> REPORTER: CRAIG WILLIAMS REMEMBERS THE COMMUNITY WAS ALL FOR GETTING RID OF THE DANGEROUS WEAPONS. BUT CONCERNED ABOUT THE PLAN TO DESTROY THEM BY BUILDING AN INCINERATOR. >> "SO THERE WAS A BASIC, I THINK  , DISTRUST OF JUST GIVING CART BLANCHE TO BURN THE MOST LETHAL CHEMICALS ON THE PLANET IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR COMMUNITY." >>

REPORTER: WILLIAMS A VET FROM NEW YORK, HAD MOVED TO KENTUCKY TO ATEND EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY AND STATED. BUT HE QUICKLY BECAME A COMMUNITY LEADER, WILLING TO TAKE ON THE U.S. ARMY. >>VIDEO:  "A LOT OF PEOPLE BACK IN THE STREETS, NOT IN WASHINGTON, RIGHT HERE IN MADISON COUNTY. WELL PUT A STOP TO IT. THANK YOU." >>

REPORTER: CRAIG WILLIAMS GOT SO INVOLVED HE EVENTUALY SHUT DOWN HIS WOOD WORKING BUSINESS TO FIGHT THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS INCINERATOR FULLTIME. >> "WE GOT THEIR ATTENTION EARLY ON THROUGH MOBILIZING THE REGION." >>

REPORTER: WHILE CENTRAL KENTUCKY MADE ITS FEELINGS KNOWN , THE ARMY REFUSED TO BACK DOWN. BUT WILLIAMS HEADED TO WASHINGTON. IN 193, CONGRESS ORDERED THE ARMY TO LOOK FOR SAFER WAYS TO DISPOSE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS. TO HELP WITH THE LOBBYING EFFORT WILLIAMS EARLIER ORGANIZED THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS WORKING GROUP BRINGING TOGETHER ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE U.S., RUSSIA AND ASIA TO WORK INTERNATIONALLY FOR SAFE DISPOSAL OF DANGEROUS WEAPONS. >> AND MOVE AS RAPIDLY AND SAFELY AS POSSIBLE. >>

REPORTER: FINALLY LAST OCTOBER, THE ARMY BROKE GROUND ON A $2 BILLION CHEMICAL AGENT DESTRUCTION PLANT AT THE BLUE GRASS DEPOT. IT WAS THE START OF AN EIGHT YEAR PROGRAM TO USE A NEW TECHNOLOGY TO NEUTRALIZE THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS INSTEAD OF BURN THEM. A FEW MONTHS EARLIER, WILLIAMS HAD BEEN AWARDED THE GOLDEN PRIZE, THE NATIONS HIGHEST ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD WHICH RECOGNIZED HIS LONG CRUSADE TO SEE THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS ARE DISPOSED OF WITHOUT HARMING PEOPLE OR THE ENVIRONMENT. >> "GIVEN THE MONEY, WE CAN GET DONE BY 2015, IF YOU STRETCH OUT THE FUNDING, WE CANT GET DONE UNTIL 2023". >>

REPORTER: A NEW CRISIS HAS WILLIAMS BACK ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE BATTLE HE HOPED WAS FINALY ENDING. THE LATEST PLAN WOULD REDUCE YEARLY FUNDING FOR BLUE GRASS DEPOT WEAPONS DESTRUCTION, ADDING EIGHT YEARS TO THE PROCESS.

>> "EVERY STUDY THATS EVER BEEN DONE HAS INDICATED THAT JUST TO CONTINUE TO STORE THEM IS THE MOST DANGEROUS THING YOU CAN DO."

>> REPORTER: WILLIAMS INSISTS CENTRAL KENTUCKY CITIZENS ARE IN DANGER BECAUSE AFTER SITTING, FOR 40 TO 60 YEARS, BLUE GRASS MUSTARD GAS AND NERVE AGENTS ARE MORE OF A THREAT THAN EVER. >>"LET'S TAKE THE MONEY AND SPEND IT TO ELIMINATE THIS RISK TO SPECIFIC 20,000- 30,000 OF OUR OWN CITIZENS, THATS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO."

>> REPORTER: THERE ARE STILL MORE BATTLES TO BE FOUGHT TO ENSURE THAT THE PENTAGON SUPPLIES ADEQUATE FUNDS TO GET WEAPONS ESPECIALLY THOSE HERE IN RICHMOND, DESTROYED SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. IN RICHMOND, KENTUCKY, DICK ERBY ERBY, FOX 41 NEWS.