Chemical Weapons Disposal

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed Army efforts to obtain environmental permits from state regulatory agencies for chemical weapons incineration. GAO found that the: (1) Army continues to experience delays in obtaining two environmental permits; (2) Army continues to encounter delays in the completion of congressionally mandated operational verification tests of the prototype disposal facility on Johnston Island, and has only completed two of the four planned test phases; and (3) Army's fiscal year 1993 budget request for chemical demilitarization programs totals $646.7 million, but the $9.1 million the Army requested for equipment acquisition at one facility could be deferred because of the probable delays in obtaining the environmental permits.