Chemical Weapons Elimination

Overview of U.S. Chemical Weapons Elimination

Stockpiled Agents

From World War I to the early 1960s, the amount of chemical warfare agents stockpiled in the United States is thought to have reached nearly 40,000 tons. These chemical warfare agents were stored in bulk containers or as assembled weapons and ammunition at nine sites in the United States. The chemical agents stored at U.S. sites include

Nerve Agents

Vesicant, or Blister Agents

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Nonstockpiled Agents

Some chemical warfare items have not been stockpiled. They include former chemical weapons production facilities, recovered chemical weapons and training materials, and miscellaneous equipment (e.g., empty aerial spray tanks). Some estimates suggest that such items remain at more than 200 sites in the United States and its territories. These items will require management for years to come.

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Congress Mandates Destruction of Chemical Warfare Agents

In 1970, Congress addressed chemical warfare agent destruction. Congress directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the surgeon general to review Department of Defense (DoD) plans to transport, test, or dispose of lethal chemical agents (Public Law (PL) 91-121/441 (50 USC 1521)).

Congress further directed that, with regard to DoD’s disposal plans, HHS had to examine potential hazards and recommend precautionary measures. The measures had to protect public health and safety. The chemical weapons stockpile is vulnerable to earthquakes, airline crashes, and other natural or human-caused disasters. Communities that surround these stockpiles have joined forces with the U.S. Army, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), CDC, EPA, and their state and local officials to support dispose of the stockpiles.

During Operation Cut Holes and Sink ‘Em (CHASE) from 1967 to 1970, thousands of tons of unwanted chemical warfare agents and ammunition were disposed of by loading them onto old ships that then were intentionally sunk at sea. Eventually, environmental concern about dumping chemical weapons in the sea resulted in Congress passing Public Law (PL) 92-532 (33 USC 1401). Known as the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, this law prohibits the kind of dumping done during Operation CHASE.

In September 1983, HHS delegated this review responsibility to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH). In 1986, enactment of PL 99-145 (50 USC 1521) mandated destruction of any remaining stockpiles of lethal chemical agents. In 1997, the United States ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention Treaty. The United States thereby agreed to destroy any remaining stockpiles of chemical warfare agents no later than April 29, 2012 (revised date).

Read more about the History of U.S. Chemical Weapons Elimination.

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CDC Actions to Protect Public Health

CDC’s responsibilities for safe chemical warfare agent disposal comprise two major categories: safely dispose of chemical warfare agents and, while doing so, protect public and worker health.

To ensure safe disposal of chemical warfare agents, CDC

Reviews DoD’s plans for disposing of chemical warfare agents. This review includes staffing and design specifications for system safeguards and for performance. CDC also recommends precautionary measures that will avoid potential hazards and will protect public health and safety.
Ensures that when disposing of chemical warfare agents, DoD provides adequately for public health and for worker safety.
Observes the required readiness demonstrations before any chemical agent disposal facility begins operations.
Reviews biweekly reports of air monitoring data for quality assurance. And at each operating chemical agent disposal facility, conduct annual, on-site, air-monitoring equipment inspections.

To protect public health during chemical warfare agent disposal, CDC

Evaluates the medical program at each chemical agent disposal facility and ensures the medical clinic, the staff, the procedures, and the plans can meet occupational medicine challenges, including emergencies related to chemical agent disposal.
Assesses the public health effects of any disposal-related, unintended exposure to a chemical warfare agent or agents.
Works with state and local authorities to respond to public health concerns related to chemical warfare agent disposal.
Reviews plans for transporting stockpiled and nonstockpiled chemical warfare agents.
Recommends chemical warfare agent airborne exposure limits that will protect the public and will protect the workers who dispose of those chemical warfare agents.

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Next Steps

CDC remains committed to assuring that the public is safe while chemical warfare agents are destroyed. CDC will provide DoD with recommendations to protect public health and to provide technical assistance regarding:

Plans to destroy the remaining 7,500 tons of chemical warfare agents, including disposal methods using neutralization followed by biotreatment or supercritical water oxidation.
Closing CDFs, including decontaminating, dismantling, and demolishing the chemical warfare agent disposal equipment and buildings.
Disposing of nonstockpile chemical warfare agents in the United States and its territories, and chemical weapons previously dumped into the sea.

CDC also will continue to provide information to Congress, state and local health authorities, and other stakeholders that answers public health questions about chemical warfare agent disposal activities.