OUTDATED AMMO TO BE CLEARED IN SIX MONTHS: DEFENSE MINISTER
ROC Central News Agency
2006-05-15 15:46:26
Taipei, May 15 (CNA) The military will finish destroying its supplies of outdated ammunition in six months and will finish disposing its outdated warheads next year to reduce the risk of explosions at storage facilities, Minister of National Defense Lee Jye said Monday.
Meanwhile, the disposal of unserviceable ammunition on the outlying islands is expected to finish in July, Lee said.
Lee made the remarks while reporting to the Legislative Yuan's National Defense Committee on an explosion that occurred May 10 at an ammunition depot in Hsichih, Taipei County that killed two people and injured 10 others.
He said the military has continued to destroy its outdated ammunition, including a large quantity that was produced decades ago, adding that 26,000 tons of outdated ordnance will have been destroyed by July 2007.
The military will also relocate ammunition depots to underground facilities in the future and will present a report to the legislature on the issue during the next legislative session, Lee said.
Although the minister refused to guarantee that similar explosions will not occur during his term, he said he will resign to take responsibility if there are any more such accidents occur again when he is in office.
(By Y.F. Low)
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