Russia intends to begin operations at a chemical weapons disposal plant in Udmurtia in 2010 and to finish work two years later, Interfax reported yesterday (see GSN, Nov. 11).
"The state customer has decided not to postpone this deadline," said Sergei Grinchenko, deputy chief of the Federal Directorate for Chemical Arms Safe Storage and Disposal.
The storage site at Kizner holds 14.2 percent of Russia's 40,000-metric-ton stockpile of chemical warfare materials.
"The [disposal] facility will be built stage-by-stage," Grinchenko said. "We hope to begin operating its first segment in 2010. There are no grounds to fail to fulfill any requirements. This issue should not be discussed."
Grinchenko said that "30 percent of the project's initial construction efforts have almost been finished."
Under the Chemical Weapons Convention, Russia has until April 2012 to eliminate its entire arsenal of banned weapons. While Moscow has pledged to meet the deadline, observers have questioned its ability to stay on schedule (Interfax, Nov. 12).