Chemical Weapons: Destruction Schedule Delays and Cost Growth Continue to Challenge Program Management

United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2004-04-01 monographic deposited born digital 14 p. GA 1.13:GAO-04-634T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-634T P0b002ee18039e512 f:d04634t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-634T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-634T GAO-04-634T Chemical and biological agents Emergency preparedness Noncompliance Program management Schedule slippages Strategic planning Cost estimates DOD Chemical Demilitarization Program DOD Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program Testimony A09660 Chemical Weapons: Destruction Schedule Delays and Cost Growth Continue to Challenge Program Management Since its inception in 1985, the Chemical Demilitarization (Chem-Demil) Program has been charged with destroying the nation's large chemical weapons stockpile of over 31,000 tons of agent. The program started destroying the stockpile in 1990. As of March 2004, the program had destroyed over 27 percent of the stockpile. The program has recently reorganized into the Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) to manage seven of the nine sites. There are five sites using incineration to destroy the agent and two bulk agent only sites using neutralization. The Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA) Program, in the Department of Defense (DOD), manages two sites using neutralization to destroy agent in weapons. This testimony updates GAO's September 2003 report and October 2003 testimony. As requested, it focuses on the following issues: (1) changes in the status of schedule milestones and costs at the sites, (2) recent developments that impact the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) deadlines, (3) the challenges associated with managing the program, and (4) an update on the status of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-634T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-634T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-634T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-634T.pdf GAO-04-634T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-634T Testimony GAO-04-634T; Chemical Weapons: Destruction Schedule Delays and Cost Growth Continue to Challenge Program Management; Chemical and biological agents Emergency preparedness Noncompliance Program management Schedule slippages Strategic planning Cost estimates DOD Chemical Demilitarization Program DOD Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program