Senator McConnell Directs The Department Of Defense To Spend Appropriated Funds At Blue Grass Army Depot

Senator McConnell Directs The Department Of Defense To Spend Appropriated Funds At Blue Grass Army Depot

from the Office of Senator Mitch McConnell

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell announced today that he authored a provision in the FY'05 Supplemental Appropriations bill that blocks the Department of Defense from redirecting funds appropriated for the disposal of chemical weapons at the Blue Grass Army and Pueblo Chemical Depots to other facilities.

"Unfortunately the Department of Defense has failed to live up to its obligations to the citizens of Madison County," said McConnell. "The language I authored will force the DOD to get Blue Grass back on track."

The measure was accepted by the Senate Appropriations Committee and now must be approved by both the House and Senate. McConnell's language was only included in the Senate version of the bill.

McConnell's provision:

· Ensures that the $813.4 million in prior-year monies budgeted for Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA) sites will not be transferred from Blue Grass and Pueblo to other sites.

· Forces the Department of Defense to spend at least $100 million at the ACWA sites within four months of enactment and provide Congress with a bi-monthly accounting of the monies.

· Prohibits the Department from conducting a study on the transportation of chemical weapons across state lines.

"I will continue to work with the citizens of Madison County to ensure this stockpile of chemical weapons is destroyed in an expeditious and safe manner. They have my word on that," McConnell added.

The FY'05 Supplemental Appropriations bill is likely to be considered by the full Senate next week.

http://mcconnell.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=236129&start=1