The US Army Chemical Materials Agency completed the destruction of the chemical weapons stockpile at Deseret Chemical Depot in Utah recently.

With the elimination of the Utah chemical weapons stockpile, Chemical Materials Agency (CMA), has safely destroyed nearly 90 per cent of the nation’s stockpile of chemical agent and has successfully completed its mission to destroy all chemical agent munitions and items declared at entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and assigned to CMA for destruction.

The CWC, an international treaty ratified by the United States in April 1997, required the complete destruction of the nation’s chemical weapons stockpile by April 2007. The United States was granted a five-year extension to April 2012 as allowed by the treaty.

“Completing destruction of this stockpile mission is a worthy and important accomplishment,” said Secretary of the Army John McHugh. “This demonstrates our commitment to the elimination of chemical weapons, enhancing safety and security for our workforce, our communities and the nation.”

The safe destruction of 27,473.65 tonnes of nerve and blister agents represents 89.75 per cent of the nation’s chemical agent stockpile and is the culmination of more than 20 years of work by thousands of men and women at seven chemical demilitarisation facilities located around the nation.

“CMA’s workforce, government and contractor has shown the utmost dedication to our mission,” said CMA Director Conrad Whyne. “Many of them have committed their professional lives to chemical weapons disposal. It was only through their dedication and expertise that CMA and the Army were able to complete this mission.”

The completion of CMA’s chemical stockpile elimination mission was accomplished at the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, or TOCDF, located at Deseret Chemical Depot, known as DCD.