United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1997-02-10 monographic deposited born digital 76 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-97-18 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-18 P0b002ee180388ce8 f:ns97018 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-18 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-18 NSIAD-97-18 Army facilities Chemical warfare Cost analysis Emergency preparedness Federal/state relations Hazardous substances Munitions Waste disposal Weapons Safety standards Army Chemical Munitions Nonstockpile Disposal Program Army Chemical Munitions Stockpile Disposal Program Army Enhanced Stockpile Surveillance Program Army Alternative Technologies and Approaches Project Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System Munitions Management Device-1 Munitions Management Device-2 Chapter Report NSIAD

GAO assessed the Department of Defense's (DOD) programs for destroying the U.S. stockpile of chemical munitions and planning for the disposal of nonstockpile chemical warfare materiel, focusing on: (1) the programs' cost and schedule; (2) alternatives for improving program effectiveness and efficiency; and (3) actions the Army has and is taking to improve the programs.<p/>GAO found that: (1) while there is general agreement about the need to destroy the chemical stockpile and related materiel, progress has slowed due to the lack of consensus among DOD and affected states and localities about the destruction method that should be used; (2) as a result, the cost and schedule for the disposal programs are uncertain; however, they will cost more than the estimated $24.4 billion above current expenditures and take longer than currently planned; (3) key factors impacting the programs include public concerns over the safety of incineration, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, legislative requirements, and the introduction of alternative disposal technologies; (4) the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program cost and schedule are largely driven by the degree to which states and local communities are in agreement with the proposed disposal method at the remaining stockpile sites; (5) based on program experience, reaching agreement has consistently taken longer than the Army anticipated; (6) congressional direction to research and develop alternative technologies to destroy assembled chemical munitions indicates that there are continued public concerns about the proposed disposal method; (7) until DOD and the affected states and localities reach agreement on a disposal method for the remaining stockpile sites, the Army will not be able to predict the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program cost and schedule with any degree of accuracy; (8) many of the problems experienced in the stockpile program are also likely to affect the Army's ability to implement the Nonstockpile Chemical Materiel Program; (9) recognizing the difficulty of satisfactorily resolving public concerns associated with each individual disposal location, suggestions have been made to change the programs' basic approach to destruction; (10) however, the suggestions create trade-offs for decisionmakers and would require changes in existing legal requirements; (11) these suggestions have included deferring plans for additional disposal facilities until an acceptable alternative technology to incineration is developed, consolidating disposal operations at a national or regional sites, destroying selected nonstockpile chemical warfare materiel in stockpile disposal facilities, establishing a centralized disposal facility for nonstockpile materiel, and modifying existing laws and regulations to s* https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-18/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-18.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-18/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-18.pdf GAO/NSIAD-97-18 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-18 Chapter Report GAO/NSIAD-97-18; Chemical Weapons and Materiel: Key Factors Affecting Disposal Costs and Schedule; Army facilities Chemical warfare Cost analysis Emergency preparedness Federal/state relations Hazardous substances Munitions Waste disposal Weapons Safety standards Army Chemical Munitions Nonstockpile Disposal Program Army Chemical Munitions Stockpile Disposal Program Army Enhanced Stockpile Surveillance Program Army Alternative Technologies and Approaches Project Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System Munitions Management Device-1 Munitions Management Device-2 Title 33 Section 1251et seq. Title 33 Section 1411et seq. 33 U.S.C. 1251et seq. 33 U.S.C. 1411et seq. Title 42 Section 4321et seq. Title 42 Section 6901et seq. Title 42 Section 7401 Title 42 Section 9620et seq. 42 U.S.C. 4321et seq. 42 U.S.C. 6901et seq. 42 U.S.C. 7401 42 U.S.C. 9620et seq. Public Law 91-441 Public Law 99-145 Public Law 99-500 Public Law 100-456 Public Law 101-510 Public Law 102-190 Public Law 102-484 Public Law 103-337 Public Law 104-106 Public Law 104-201 Public Law 104-208