Published: June 11, 2009

2021 now likely date for weapons destruction

Bill Robinson
Register News Writer

If Congress approves the Defense Department’s increased funding request, announced last month, there is a 50 percent probability the chemical weapons stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot will be destroyed by 2021.

Joe Novad, deputy program manager for Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA), gave that assessment Tuesday to the Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board (CDCAB).

The 50 percent probability assessment was based on the program’s past difficulties with funding, technical and logistical issues, he said.

The Pentagon has request $545.2 million for the project in its 2010 budget.

The chemical weapons stored at Pueblo, Colo., likely will be destroyed by 2017, Novad said.

After Novad presented the updated timeline, and his assessment of it being realized, CDCAB member Doug Hindman expressed his dissatisfaction.

“When we started this process, we were looking at 1994 as the target date for completed destruction,” Hindman said.

He reminded Novad of the 2012 extended international treaty deadline, the 2017 Congressional mandate and asked that a detailed explanation of the delays be given at the next CDCAB meeting, Sept. 8.

With full funding each year and no technical problems, Novad said destruction could be achieved earlier 2021.

CDCAB Co-chair Craig Williams said he believed destruction by 2020 or even earlier was possible.

Novad said Defense Secretary Robert Gates, appointed by President George W. Bush and retained by President Barrack Obama, was personally involved in the decision to seek increased funding for ACWA.

Williams said U.S. Mitch McConnell, R-KY, who “put the bug in Gates’ ear," was behind the secretary’s action.

Novad also said the Defense Department has approved on-site treatment of the hydrolysate that results from the chemical neutralization of the weapons.

Supercritical water oxidation will be used in Kentucky, while Colorado will use a bio-treatment method, he said.

Williams also had praise for ACWA manager Kevin Flamm, who “stood his ground against his Pentagon superiors” to win on-site hydrolysate treatment approval.

“Some heavy lifting by the Kentucky congressional delegation” backed up Flamm’s effort, Williams said.

“If you want to do something positive,” he said, “you can write a letter to your congressman and U.S. senators thanking them for helping win approval of on-site hydrolysate treatment.”

Novad said transporting the hydrolysate offsite for treatment was still an option if technical difficulties with on-site methods threaten to delay project completion.

Critics of water oxidation have said it has not been proven effective on the scale at which it will be used at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.