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McConnell Amendment Sets Deadline for the Disposal of Chemical Weapons Stockpile

Press Release

Date: July 11, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security Defense

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell introduced an amendment today to the Defense Authorization bill that addresses the elimination of the U.S. stockpile of chemical weapons, a significant portion of which is stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, Kentucky.

Senator McConnell's amendment has bipartisan support, Senators Ken Salazar (D-CO), Wayne Allard (R-CO) and Jim Bunning (R-KY) are cosponsors.

The amendment sets a legal deadline of 2017 for disposal of the entire U.S. stockpile of chemical weapons, provides $49.3 million in additional funds for chemical demilitarization, and requires the Department of Defense to give Congress semiannual updates of their progress toward compliance with the deadline.

"The Department of Defense has shown an unwillingness to commit the necessary resources to the issue of disposal of the chemical weapons located at the Blue Grass Army Depot," said McConnell. "It has been demonstrated that the longer these weapons remain in storage at the facility the more unstable they become."

"Chemical weapons pose not only a local risk to the people of Madison County but a national security risk if they fall into the wrong hands," added McConnell. "The material needs to be disposed of in a safe and timely manner, and my amendment helps get the job done."

"The Department of Defense has continually played games with the funding for the design and construction of the chemical demilitarization facility at the Blue Grass Army Depot," said Bunning. "DOD has been stonewalling for years and it is time for them to produce results. Over the years there has been no stronger voice in the effort to get these chemical weapons cleaned up than Senator McConnell, and I am proud to co-sponsor his amendment to restore funding for this vital project and set a hard deadline for its completion. The DOD has an obligation to the citizens of Kentucky to dispose of these weapons in an expeditious and safe manner."


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