U.S. Destroys 85% Of Chemical Weapons

The U.S. has destroyed 85% of its stockpile of chemical agents and munitions since ratifying the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997, the Army’s Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) said last week. The agency has incinerated or chemically neutralized 26,019 tons of chemical agents and eliminated more than 2.3 million munitions. Weapons are currently being destroyed at installations in Anniston, Ala.; Tooele, Utah; and Umatilla, Ore. CMA expects to finish its mission of destroying 90% of the entire U.S. chemical weapons arsenal by April 2012. The final 10% will be disposed of at two facilities currently under construction near Richmond, Ky., and Pueblo, Colo. Elimination of those agents and munitions is scheduled for completion in 2021. “Reaching 85% demonstrates how dedicated CMA’s workforce is to the safety of the community, the workers, and the environment,” CMA Director Conrad F. Whyne said in a statement. “It shows dedication to their country and the safe disposal of the stockpile.”