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Environmental
Public Health Readiness Branch |
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Chemical Weapons Elimination Team |
Overview of U.S. Chemical Weapons Elimination
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| Historical
perspective
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From
World War I to 1968, the United States produced chemical weapons as
a deterrent against use of similar weapons by other countries.
These weapons are now obsolete and deteriorating with age.
U.S.
Congress mandates that outdated chemical weapons be destroyed
On
November 8, 1985, as part of the Fiscal Year National Defense
Authorization Act (Public Law 103-160), the U.S. Congress mandated
that the Department of Defense be responsible for establishing a
Chemical and Biological Defense (CBD) Program.
U.S. Code Title 50, Sections 1521 through 1523 provided the
legal foundation for weapons disposal activities.
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U.S.
Code
Title 50
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War and National Defense
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Chapter
32
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Chemical
and Biological Warfare Program
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Section
1521
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Destruction
of existing stockpile of lethal chemical warfare agents and
munitions
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Section
1522
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Conduct
of chemical and biological defense program
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Section
1523 |
Annual
report on chemical and biological warfare defense
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| The
U.S. signs the International Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)
Treaty
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In
1997, the United States ratified the United Nations
International Chemical Weapons Convention treaty.
By participating in the treaty, the United States
agreed to destroy its stockpile of aging chemical
weapons -- principally mustard agent and nerve agents --
by April 29, 2007. A
5-year extension has been recently agreed in principle
by the CWC.
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| Today,
the U.S. Army is recognized as a world leader in international
chemical weapons elimination efforts. Over a decade of experience
has demonstrated that these weapons can be destroyed safely, without
harm to employees, to the community, or to the environment.
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| Stockpile
and non-stockpile chemical warfare agent disposal
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The
U.S. national stockpile of lethal chemical warfare agents primarily
involves six chemicals:
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GA Tabun or ethyl N,N-dimethyl
phosphoroamidocyanidate, CAS 77-81-6
GB
Sarin or isopropyl
methylphosphonofluoridate, CAS 107-44-8
H,
HD
Sulfur mustard or di-2-chloroethyl sulfide, (HD) CAS 505-60-2
L
Lewisite or dichloro 2-chlorovinylarsine, CAS 541-25-3
T
Bis(2-chloroethylthioethyl) ether, CAS 63918-89-8
VX
O-ethyl-S-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl)-methyl phosphonothiolate,
CAS 50782-69-9
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Years
ago, the Department of Defense stored these agents, either in bulk
containers or as assembled munitions, at various locations within
the continental United States. The remainder of the stockpile was
transferred to Johnston Atoll, a small remote island in the Pacific
Ocean (Southwest of the Hawaiian Islands).
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Non-stockpile
chemical warfare materiel includes former chemical weapons
production facilities; recovered chemical weapons, chemical samples,
and binary chemical weapons; and miscellaneous equipment, such as
empty aerial spray tanks.
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