Alabama Senator Attempts to Keep Chemical Weapons Away

Last Edited: Wednesday, 02 Jul 2008, 1:23 PM CDT
Created: Wednesday, 02 Jul 2008, 1:23 PM CDT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala (WBRC-TV MyFoxAL.com) -- A Pentagon proposal to bring chemical weapons to Alabama for destruction is under fire from an Alabama Senator.

USA Today reports the Pentagon is considering a plan to ship deadly chemical weapons to sites in Alabama and three other states to speed up destruction of the munitions.

Alabama Senator Richard Shelby says the chemical demilitarization in Anniston has been extremely successful but he doesn't think the transportation risks of moving these weapons across state lines outweighs the benefits.

"We cannot sacrifice safety and security for expediency," Shelby said.

So far, nearly 50% of the stockpile of chemical weapons currently stored in Anniston has been destroyed.