International inspectors this month visited a U.S. chemical weapons depot in Kentucky to assess its storage of munitions eventually set for destruction under Chemical Weapons Convention, the Richmond Register reported Saturday (see GSN, Jan. 30, 2008).
This was the 13th inspection of Blue Grass Chemical Activity conducted by the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which is responsible for monitoring the destruction of chemical weapons worldwide. The inspectors began a four-day visit on Feb. 2 to verify the correct accounting and storage of weapons at the Blue Grass Army Depot.
"I was especially proud of the men and women of Blue Grass Chemical Activity," said site official Johnnie Allen. "To do a complete inventory of 45 igloos containing in excess of 100,000 individual weapons in such a short time called for extraordinary coordination between my toxic chemical workers and the inspectors. We were able to keep up with their very ambitious work schedule while always providing the utmost in personal safety for the inspectors, their escorts, the guards and our toxic chemical workers" (Ronica Shannon, Richmond Register, Feb. 14).