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CMA Reaches 80 Percent Chemical Weapons Destruction Mark

Oct 5, 2010

By Richard Arndt

Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. -- The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) announced today that on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, they achieved the destruction of 80 percent of the U.S. chemical agent stockpile since Entry-Into-Force, when the United States ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty in April 1997.

CMA Director Conrad Whyne said, "This is another positive step in meeting the treaty and our commitment to the American people to safely dispose of the stockpile of chemical weapons. It is the direct result of the dedicated efforts of the government and contractor personnel at CMA who day-by-day safely store and destroy the stockpile."

Eighty percent represents the destruction of 24,488 tons of agent and more than 2.1 million munitions. CMA reached the 50 percent milestone in December 2007, the 60 percent destruction mark in April 2009 and 75 percent destruction in July 2010.

While not a treaty-mandated achievement, 80 percent demonstrates the United States' continuing progress in fulfilling its international obligations to destroy the chemical weapons stockpile. CMA is on pace to meet the 90 percent milestone by April 2012. The U.S. Army Element Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA) program is responsible for destroying the remaining 10 percent.

CMA's progress is reflected in the fact that neutralization sites at Aberdeen, Md., and Newport, Ind., as well as the incineration site at Johnston Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, have successfully destroyed their chemical warfare materiel stockpiles and are closed.

CMA's four remaining sites at Anniston, Ala.; Pine Bluff, Ark.; Tooele, Utah and Umatilla, Ore., continue their final agent campaigns-destroying blister agent. Earlier this year CMA's Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel Project completed a mission at the Pine Bluff Explosive Destruction System site, destroying more than 1,200 recovered munitions.

CMA remains committed to the safe and timely destruction of the nation's chemical agent and chemical warfare materiel, and continues to safely store chemical agent munitions at the ACWA sites near Richmond, Ky., and at Pueblo, Colo.

For more information about CMA, please visit www.cma.army.mil