The Department of Defense released today an interim report
on the status of the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program
indicating that the CDSP is now into its operational phase. The
report assesses the current status of the chemical stockpile
demilitarization program, including the results of the Army's
analysis of the physical and chemical integrity of the stockpile
and implications for the chemical demilitarization program, and
providing recommendations for revisions to the program that have
been included in the budget request of the Department of Defense
for fiscal year 1997.
The U.S. stockpile consists of some 30,000 tons of chemical
weapons -- about 3.3 million individual items, located at eight
sites in the U.S. and one site on Johnston Atoll in the Pacific
Ocean. Currently the Johnston Atoll incineration facility is in
full operation and has already destroyed more than two million
pounds of chemical weapons. A second site, at Tooele Army Depot,
Utah, where more than 40 percent of the chemical weapons
stockpile is maintained, is set to begin incineration operations
this summer. Construction of similar facilities at Anniston,
Ala., Umatilla Ore., and Pine Bluff, Ark. are scheduled to begin
later this year.
The National Research Council of the National Academy of
Sciences has determined that incineration is a safe and effective
method of destroying chemical weapons. The NRC has also
concluded that indefinite storage of the chemical weapons
stockpile presents greater risk then getting on with the
destruction effort, using the baseline incineration technology
developed by the Army.
In parallel with implementation of its baseline technology,
the Army is aggressively assessing two neutralization-based
technologies which will provide alternatives to the incineration
process. Three additional technologies have been identified from
recommendations from U.S. industry. All five technologies are
now being evaluated by the NRC. A decision on whether to proceed
with a pilot scale program with one or more of these technologies
is expected to be made by the Department of Defense later this
year.
Cost of the CDSP, over the 16 years of its anticipated life
cycle, is estimated to be $12.4 billion. Major factors
contributing to the growth of this cost have been changing
environmental permit requirements, legislative requirements, and
modifications resulting from program experiences. The Army
continues to pursue several cost reduction initiatives which will
not jeopardize the health and safety of the work force or the
public and which will protect the environment. The results of
this ongoing cost reduction study will be provided to Congress
with the Defense Department budget request for fiscal year 1998.
-->
