Congressman Salazar: DOD Should Fulfill Treaty Obligations, Keep Faith with Communities

Congressmen Decry Budget Cuts, Stress Need to Continue Chem Depot Construction

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Salazar (CO-3) and Congressman Ben Chandler (KY-3), were joined by Department of Defense officials today on a fact-finding tour of the Bluegrass, KY chemical weapons depot. The Administration’s recent budget proposes to eliminate funding for chemical demilitarization programs in Pueblo, CO and Bluegrass, KY, which maintain more than 10% of the nation’s chemical weapons stockpile.  Salazar and Chandler stressed the need to continue construction at these sites, citing the increased national security risks and potential violation of international treaty if the projects are not completed as planned.

“The Department of Defense needs to keep its promise to American citizens and to the international community to destroy these weapons safely and on time,” said Salazar. “We need to eliminate the threat to our neighborhoods, not increase the risk by moving volatile chemical weapons through our backyards. We need to take care of the problem now, not transfer it to other communities to be dealt with at a later date.”

The Administration has proposed a budget that eliminates funding for the development of the sites at Pueblo, CO and Bluegrass, KY, choosing instead to end the projects and study the costs of transporting the weapons across state lines. If the funding is not reinstated this year, the United States will not be able to meet the international treaty obligations of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

“Studying to move the weapons will only increase costs and put us further into the hole of debt,” said Chandler. “The United States has an obligation to the American citizens who have already invested in these projects and to the international community to destroy these weapons as planned.”

Salazar and Chandler have spearheaded legislation in Congress to make sure that the weapons in Colorado and Kentucky are destroyed as planned. HR 460 would prevent the Department of Defense from using funds to study the transportation of weapons across state lines.