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Chemical Weapons Working Group
PO Box 467
Berea, KY 40403
(606) 986-0868 fax: (606) 986-2695
www.cwwg.org
for more information:
Craig Williams
(606) 986-7565
for immediate release: Thursday, December 10, 1998
EXPERT PANEL SLAMS ARMY CHEMICAL WEAPONS DISPOSAL PROGRAM
Assessment Criticizes: Organization, Management Public and Legislative Relations: Says: The Chemical Disposal Program is "seen as a disaster with no solution."
In a new report, a panel of experts found that the Army's Chemical Disposal Program (CDP) suffers from "a wide variety of types of problems which continually hamper progress and some are of sufficient magnitude that the CDP is at a point where it is necessary to make some drastic changes to ensure that it can accomplish its goal."
The report follows two other studies released last month which pointed out the probability of the CDP not being able to fulfill the disposal deadlines under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the expectation of continuing cost escalation beyond the current $14 billion projected CDP budget.
This latest study, called the "Overarching Issues Assessment" (OIA), was contracted by the Dr. Theodore Prociv, Deputy Assistant Secretray of the Army for Chemical Delimitarization. For over four and a half years, Prociv had the responsibility at the Pentagon level of oversseeing the CDP and has recently moved to the Army to run the program.
The OIA report assesses issues which "cut across the entire CDP." Findings in some of the issue areas are that the CDP: * "has negative appeal and credibility" and "has not been run as a unified effort"--Leadership; * "has not developed a unified message to address continued program biases"--Constituencies; * "badly needs integration at all levels and better integrated leadership"-- Integration;
* "is based on program history and has not evolved to meet program needs"--Management; * "has a major problem based on the biases resident in the personnel" and "suffers from a lack of leadership direction and discipline."--Public Affairs.
At one point in the report, the panel states, "Even inside DoD and the Army the program lacks credibility; no one appears to want to take charge because it is seen as a disaster with no solution."
The report also contains observations on the newly established Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment (ACWA) program which is investigating options to the Army's controversial incineration disposal approach. Unlike the CDP which is currently 14 years behind schedule and 800% over budget, the ACWA effort has involved a diverse group including local citizens from storage locations. The OIA states, "The CDP should use more of the approaches that have succeeded in the ACWA program...Now, ACWA is viewed as succeeding and CDP is viewed as failing worse than ever."
Craig Williams, spokesperson for the Chemical Weapons Working Group, a citizens' coalition that advocates alternative disposal technologies to incineration, agreed saying, "The ACWA approach is the way to get things done, while the CDP still operates like the military did from World War I through the Cold War: decide, deny, defend."
Over the past decade there have been numerous reports by government and independent agencies reviewing the CDP most of which have pointed to the same problems identified by the OIA. "I've got GAO reports in my files dating back to 1989 criticizing the way this program has been run," said Williams, "and all we hear out of CDP is that now, with this 'new information' they are going to fix it. Meanwhile nothing changes."
The OIA report recommends pulling all the operations within the CDP under the leadership of Prociv in order to bring unity to the effort. But Williams notes notes that Prociv has been in a leadership role for almost five years and nothing nothing has changed. "Consolidating all the CDP activities more closely together under Prociv's authority is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic while maintaining the same course and crew, it might look and feel different but it won't affect the final outcome."
"It's time for major changes and fresh approaches to the United States objective objective of disposing of its chemical weapons," said Williams. "The CDP should be dismantled, salvaging what pieces are worth saving, and placing it under new leadership to include input from all interested parties. Any other option will result in just another study in a year or two trying to explain why its its still not working."
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A copy of the OIA report is available from the CWWG office. |
