Chemical weapons

Technical Report · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5336029

This paper reports that Congress has directed the Defense Department to destroy the U.S. stockpile of chemical weapons by September 30, 1994. However, continuing problems in the Army's disposal program suggest that increased costs and more time will be needed to accomplish that task. Since the issuance of its 1988 estimates to Congress, the Army has experienced additional program requirements; material costs and wages have risen; and technical and programmatic problems have caused delays. Although the Army revised its estimates in an April 1991 report to Congress, saying that the disposal program would cost $6.5 billion and would not be completed until July 1999, this completion date relies on an overly optimistic projection of the number of chemical weapons and agents to be destroyed per hour. The projection almost doubles what the Army has been able to achieve during its initial test phase at the Johnston Atoll. In addition, the July 1999 date does not reflect the recent six-month shutdown of the Johnston facility while possible construction defects were being investigated. Nor does the overall destruction schedule allow for time to resolve additional unforeseen problems. The Army has been investigating other disposal technologies, which should help it determine whether faster and less costly alternatives exist for disposing of the chemical stockpile. On a related matter, the Army's annual report to Congress lacks detailed analyses of the program's estimated costs, destruction schedules, and factors that could affect the reliability of the estimates. Without such information, Congress cannot fully assess the progress of the Army's efforts to destroy the stockpile.

• Research Organization: General Accounting Office, Washington, DC (United States). National Security and International Affairs Div.
• OSTI ID: 5336029
• Report Number(s): GAO/NSTAD-92-18
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

350100* -- Arms Control-- Policy
Negotiations
& Legislation-- (1987-)
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990100 -- Management
ARMS CONTROL
CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
COST
MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
SCHEDULES
STOCKPILES
TIME DELAY
US DOD
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WEAPONS