[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20026]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO CRAIG WILLIAMS AND THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS WORKING GROUP

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a great 
Kentuckian and the fine organization he represents--Mr. Craig Williams 
and the Chemical Weapons Working Group, CWWG, based in Madison County, 
KY.
  For almost 20 years, Craig and the CWWG have been invaluable in their 
efforts to ensure that the millions of pounds of chemical weapons 
stored at Kentucky's Blue Grass Army Depot are destroyed as safely and 
expeditiously as possible. In large part due to their efforts, we are 
closer than we have ever been to taking tangible steps towards chemical 
weapons disposal.
  One of our biggest challenges has been to keep those in charge of 
weapons disposal at the Department of Defense, DOD, accountable to the 
citizens of Kentucky. It hasn't been easy. Without the efforts and 
diligence of Craig and his organization, it would have been close to 
impossible to hold DOD to the commitments it has made to the local 
community. This is because, with respect to chemical demilitarization, 
DOD has long operated in a less than transparent manner. Craig has been 
another set of eyes and ears for the Kentucky delegation, keeping us 
abreast of what is going on--or not going on--at the depot. In this 
regard, Craig has been at the vanguard of a unique public/private 
partnership between the citizens of Madison County and its elected 
representatives, including my colleague and friend from Kentucky, 
Senator Bunning.
  But for the efforts of Craig and the CWWG, our Nation's obligations 
under the Chemical Weapons Convention would be in more jeopardy than 
they already are. More importantly, but for Craig and the CWWG, 
hundreds of thousands of Americans would continue living indefinitely 
with the specter of an aging and increasingly unstable chemical weapons 
stockpile looming in their midst.
  All of us in the Commonwealth of Kentucky owe Craig and the CWWG a 
substantial debt of gratitude for their tireless work to protect the 
health and safety of the public, the depot workers, and the local 
environment.
  I ask my fellow Senators to join me in paying tribute to the CWWG and 
to my friend, Craig Williams.

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