Chemical Stockpile Demilitarization Program PDF Download

This report is the third and last in a series of reports that discuss the management of the Chemical Demilitarization Program (the Demilitarization Program). The first report discussed the need for the Army to revise its acquisition program baseline agreement and to obtain a documented threat assessment for the Demilitarization Program. The second report discussed the improvements that could be made in the oversight, the execution, and the administration of the Demilitarization Program. In 1985, the Congress directed DoD to oversee the destruction of the chemical weapons stockpiled munitions and assigned the Army responsibility for the destruction. The Army established the Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization to manage the day-to-day operations of destroying the chemical weapons. In 1992, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 1993 (Public Law 102-484) directed the Army to plan for destroying U.S. non-stockpile chemical weapons. In May 2001, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (AT & L) designated the Demilitarization Program as a Major Defense Acquisition Program and assigned the Army as the Executive Agent. The Office of the Secretary of Defense approved a life- cycle cost estimate of $24 billion for the Demilitarization Program in September 2001. In February 2003, the Army restructured the program's management by assigning the functions of the Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization to the Program Manager for the Elimination of Chemical Weapons for plant construction and systemization to the Deputy Director for Plant Operations for operations and closure. The restructuring also assigned the Director, Chemical Materials Agency to manage the overall Demilitarization Program. Through May 2003, the Army awarded contracts totaling $5.7 billion for the construction, systemization, operations, and closure of seven chemical agent disposal facilities and planned two additional disposal facilities.