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CMA Destroys its Two Millionth Munition

Oct 6, 2009

By Greg Mahall

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - Today, the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) announced the safe destruction of its two millionth munition since Entry-Into-Force of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The United States ratified the CWC in 1997, joining more than 180 countries pledging to rid the world of chemical weapons.

This is a major achievement for CMA and is testimony to the expertise and commitment of its work force. This accomplishment was reached while maintaining the safety of CMA's work force, the public and the environment. CMA reached the millionth munition destroyed in 2001.

CMA Director Conrad F. Whyne said of the accomplishment, "The professional, dedicated government and contract workers at all of our locations are making great strides to safely eliminate our chemical weapons stockpile, making our nation and the world safer."

CMA has come a long way to reach this destruction benchmark. The neutralization sites at Aberdeen, Md., and Newport, Ind., as well as the incineration site at Johnston Atoll, have successfully destroyed their stockpiles of chemical warfare materiel and are closed or being closed. The four remaining sites at Anniston, Ala., Pine Bluff, Ark., Tooele, Utah, and Umatilla, Ore., use incineration, a proven safe and effective treatment. In addition, CMA's Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel Project (NSCMP) has made substantial progress assessing and treating chemical materiel separate from the national stockpile. NSCMP also beat the treaty deadline for destruction of the nation's chemical warfare production facilities.

CMA is committed to the safety of the public, its work force and the environment. CMA's four remaining destruction sites are on pace to complete operations in time to meet the 2012 CWC deadline. CMA continues to safely store chemical agent munitions near Richmond, Ky., and Pueblo, Colo.