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Chemical Weapons: Stability of the U.S. Stockpile

NSIAD-95-67 Published: Dec 22, 1994. Publicly Released: Jan 09, 1995.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the stability of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile, focusing on the Army's: (1) estimate of how long chemical weapons can be stored safely; and (2) contingency plans for disposing of chemical weapons that become dangerous.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Army to expand the Army's monitoring program to resolve questions about the stockpile's stability and develop a contingency plan for emergency disposal of M55 rockets. The expanded program should include an analysis and implementation of the processes that would be necessary to safely take field samples from all storage sites and from leaking munitions, and include milestones and required resources. The plan should also identify specific methodologies to be used, and specific milestones and resources.
Closed – Implemented
In response to GAO's recommendation, the Army initiated the Enhanced Stockpile Surveillance Program in January 1995 to improve its assessment data, identify hazards associated with leaking M55 rockets, and determine specific methods to deal with leaking munitions. Also in September 1996, the Army issued a contingency plan for the M55 rockets. The plan identifies response actions that may be required if there is an accelerated deterioration of the rockets.

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Topics

Army facilitiesChemical warfareDefense contingency planningChemical weaponsExplosivesMilitary materielMunitionsProperty and supply managementProperty disposalSafety standards