NEW GAO CHEM WEAPONS REPORT

[Bob Schaeffer <bobschaeffer@igc.org>]

 CHEMICAL WEAPONS WORKING GROUP
 P.O. Box 467, Berea, Kentucky 40403

 for further information:
 Craig Williams (606) 986-7565
 Bob Schaeffer (617) 489-0461

 for immediate release, Monday, February 24, 1997
 NEW GAO CHEMICAL WEAPONS REPORT PREDICTS 
 INCINERATION DELAYS, COST OVERRUNS WILL CONTINUE
 UNTIL ARMY REACHES AGREEMENT ON DISPOSAL TECHNOLOGY 
 WITH AFFECTED COMMUNITIES

 Leaders of the movement to press the U.S. Army to destroy the nation's
chemical weapons stockpile using non-incineration technologies agreed with
the new General Accounting Office's (GAO) recent report criticizing the
Army's current plans. 

 Chemical Weapons Working Group (CWWG) spokesman Craig Williams
explained, "GAO's February report has accurately depicted the flaws of the
Army's incineration scheme. It's time for the Army to begin working with
local communities to move forward with safer approaches to our common goal
of eliminating chemical agents." CWWG is an alliance of groups from
communities near sites where the Army wants to build incinerators. 

 Among the key GAO findings:

* Rockets and other components of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile should
be stable through 2013. According to CWWG's Williams, "The GAO report's
findings contradict the Army's fear campaign that incineration is necessary
to avoid storage risks. It confirms, again, that there is time to develop
and implement alternative destruction technologies."

* The GAO concludes that the Army's incineration plan will require more time
and funds than currently planned. Noting that the program is already seven
times over its initial budget and 13 years behind schedule, GAO predicts
that incineration will cost even more than the $12.4 billion currently
planned. The Army is also unlikely to meet its December 31, 2004
Congressionally-mandated destruction schedule. That requirement will be
superseded with a later deadline if the Chemical Weapons Convention is
ratified by the U.S. Senate.

* The GAO report also concludes, "The Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program
cost and schedule are largely driven by the degree to which states and local
communities are in agreement with the proposed disposal method."

* One of many suggestions the GAO recommends that Congress consider is to
"defer plans for additional disposal facilities until an acceptable
alternative technology to incineration is developed."

 "This program is in obvious trouble," Williams concluded. "To begin
making real progress on chemical weapons destruction, the Army must abandon
its fixation on incineration and work with the public and private
corporations to put safer, more reliable technologies on the fast track. In
Maryland, where that has happened, lethal agents will be quickly eliminated."

 Earlier this year, the Army agreed to abandon incineration and proceed
with neutralization technologies at its Aberdeen, Maryland, chemical weapons
facility with community support. Two weeks ago Teledyne-Commodore, announced
successful testing of a low-temperature, low-pressure process that it says
can destroy all chemical weapons munition components with no emissions.

 - - 3 0 - -

- the report "Chemical Weapons and Materiel: Key Factors Affecting Disposal
Costs and Schedule" is GAO/NSIAD-97-18 and is available from GAO at (202)
512-6000.

- a briefing kit analyzing the flaws of the Army's chemical weapons
incineration program and the potential of alternative technologies is
available on request.
 * * * Bob Schaeffer, Public Policy Communications * * *
 73 Trowbridge Street, Belmont, MA 02178 
 phone: (617) 489-0461 fax: (617) 489-6841