B
Public Forum
PURPOSE
Media coverage, Army reporting on interactions with the public, and letters and calls to the Committee on Review and Evaluation of the Army Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (Stockpile Committee) and Committee on Alternative Chemical Demilitarization Technologies (Alternatives Committee) have made it obvious that the public has many concerns about the chemical stockpile and plans for its disposal. As part of its deliberations, the Stockpile Committee wanted an opportunity to discuss those concerns directly with the interested parties. One step to enhance the committee's understanding was to hold a public forum.
On June 30, 1993, an Alternative Technologies Forum was held in the main building of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. The forum represented a major undertaking by the Alternatives and Stockpile Committees to obtain public input and comment. The morning session summarized and received comment on the National Research Council report Alternative Technologies for the Destruction of Chemical Agents and Munitions (NRC, 1993a). The afternoon was devoted to explaining the Stockpile Committee's plans and processes for producing its final report for the Army. The public commented on and suggested revisions in some of the committee's plans, both at the forum and through written submissions.
AGENDA Public Forum, June 30, 1993 Washington, D.C.
The following committee and U.S. Army presentations were made during the one-day forum:
Morning Session
(a) Briefing by Dr. John P. Longwell, Chairman, Committee on Alternative Chemical Demilitarization Technologies (Alternatives Committee), Review of committee's report Alternative Technologies for the Destruction of Chemical Agents and Munitions. This presentation was followed by a question and answer period.
Afternoon Session
(b) Briefing by Dr. Carl R. Peterson, Chairman, Committee on Review and Evaluation of the Army Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (Stockpile Committee), including discussion on (1) introduction and background of the chemical disposal program and the Stockpile Committee's involvement in recommendations for alternative technologies; (2) description of the munitions; and (3) the technology evaluation considerations.
(c) Briefing by Mr. Charles Baronian, Program Manager and Technical Director for Chemical Demilitarization, on the Army's plans for its report to Congress and on the Army's mechanism and process for public participation.
(d) Briefing by Dr. B. John Garrick, Member, Stockpile Committee," Quantitative Risk Assessment."
A question and answer period followed the afternoon briefing session.
ATTENDEES
The forum was conducted by both the Alternatives and the Stockpile Committees. Attendees were as follows:
Committee on Alternative Chemical Demilitarization Technologies
Dr. John P. Longwell, Chairman |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Dr. George Apostolakis |
University of California, Los Angeles |
Dr. Joseph F. Bunnett |
University of California, Santa Cruz |
Dr. Peter S. Daley |
Waste Management International |
Dr. Gene H. Dyer |
Bechtel Corporation, Retired |
Dr. David S. Kosson |
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey |
Dr. Walter G. May |
University of Illinois |
Dr. Matthew Meselson |
Harvard University |
Dr. Henry Shaw |
New Jersey Institute of Technology |
Dr. Thomas O. Tiernan |
Wright State University |
Dr. Barry M. Trost* |
Stanford University |
Dr. James R. Wild |
Texas A & M University |
Committee on Review and Evaluation of the Army Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program
Dr. Carl R. Peterson, Chairman |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Dr. Elisabeth M. Drake |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Dr. Colin G. Drury |
University of Buffalo |
Mr. Gene H. Dyer |
Bechtel Corporation, Retired |
MG Vincent E. Falter |
U.S. Army, Retired |
Dr. Ann Fisher |
The Pennsylvania State University |
Dr. B. John Garrick |
PLG, Inc. |
Dr. John P. Longwell |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Dr. Richard S. Magee |
New Jersey Institute of Technology |
Dr. Alvin Mushkatel |
Arizona State University |
Mr. Peter J. Niemiec |
Greenberg, Glusker, Fields, Claman and Machtinger |
Dr. George Parshall |
E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Retired |
Dr. Gavriel Salvendy* |
Purdue University |
Committee Staff
Mr. Donald L. Siebenaler, Study Director
Dr. James J. Zucchetto, Co-Study Director, Alternatives Committee
Ms. Ann Covalt, Technical Writer/Editor
Ms. Margo Francesco, Senior Program Assistant
NRC's Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems
Mr. Archie L. Wood, Executive Director
NRC's Board on Army Science and Technology
Mr. Bruce Braun, Director
Mr. Tracy Wilson, Senior Program Officer
NRC's Office of News and Public Information
Mr. Lee Tune, Media Relations Associate
Invited Attendees
Department of the Army
Mr. Charles Baronian, Program Manager and Technical Director for Chemical Demilitarization
COL James Coverstone, Assistant Deputy for Chemical Demilitarization, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Logistics and Environment)
Mr. Mark Evans, Special Assistant to the Program Manager, Office of the Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization
Mr. Wayne Jennings, Chief, Program Planning Division, for Non-Stockpile Chemical Material, U.S. Army Chemical Material Destruction Agency
Ms. Diane Kotras, Physical Scientist, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, The Pentagon
MAJ Jean-Luc Ontiveros, Acting Chief, Engineering and Technology Division, Office of the Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization
Ms. Margo Robinson, Program Analyst, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Logistics and Environment)
Ms. Marilyn Tischbin, Chief, Public Affairs Office, Office of the Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization
Congressional
Mr. Alan Dayton, on behalf of Senator Robert Bennett, State of Utah
Mr. Ken Lane, on behalf of Senator Benjamin Campbell, State of Colorado
Ms. Lasca Low, on behalf of Congressman John Myers, State of Indiana
Ms. Vickie Plunkett, on behalf of Congressman Glen Browder, State of Alabama
State of Alabama
Dr. Doris Gertler, Families Concerned About Nerve Gas Incineration, Anniston
Mr. William Gerald Hardy, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Land Division, Montgomery
Mr. Jim Harmon, Families Concerned About Nerve Gas Incineration, Anniston
Mr. Nate Hartman, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Air Division, Montgomery
Mr. Griffin "Buddy" Holcomb, Jr., Talladega County Emergency Management Agency, Talladega
Mr. Jerry D. Mullinix, Director of Chemical Demilitarization, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville Division, Huntsville
Mr. Rudy Noll, Citizens for SPRING, Anniston
COL Leo E. Norton, Deputy Commander, Chemical Demilitarization and Special Projects, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville
Mr. Boyce L. Ross, Chief, Design Management and Integration Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville
State of Arkansas
Ms. Kim Konecny, Assistant Environmental Liaison, The Office of Governor Jim Guy Tucker, Little Rock
State of Colorado
Ms. Jacqueline Beradini, Office of the Environment, Colorado Department of Health, Denver
Dr. Richard A. Martinez, Pueblo County Commission, and Chairperson, PDA Chemical Demilitarization Commission, Pueblo
Mr. Ross Vincent, Chair, Rocky Mountain Chapter, Sierra Club, Pueblo
State of Indiana
Mr. Jim Gross, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indianapolis
Dr. Gregory Steele, Indiana State Department of Health, Indianapolis
State of Kentucky
MG Robert L. DeZarn, Adjutant General of Kentucky and Head, Department of Military Affairs, Frankfort
Mr. Ken Hudson, Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) Branch Manager, Division of Disaster and Emergency Services, Department of Military Affairs, Frankfort
Ms. Valerie Hudson, Principal Assistant, Department for Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet, Frankfort
Mr. Thomas Pendleton, Jr., Kentucky Department of Military Affairs, Frankfort
Mr. Craig Williams, Kentucky Environmental Foundation, Berea
State of Maryland
Ms. Lisa Albin, on behalf of Mr. David McMillion, Maryland Emergency Management Agency, Pikesville
Mr. John Chalda, Maryland Department of Environment, Baltimore
Mr. Harold L. Dye, Jr., Maryland Department of Environment, Baltimore
Mr. Walter B. Harris, Chesapeake Bay Protection, Worton
Mr. Robert Hukill and Mrs. Jane Hukill, Coalition for Safe Disposal, Worton
Mr. Robert T. Jaske, P.E., Public Safety Consultant, Bethesda
Dr. Peter Montague, Environmental Research Foundation, Annapolis
Mr. John Nunn and Mrs. Nancy Nunn, Coalition for Safe Disposal, Worton
Mr. Jim Peavler, Chesapeake Development, Inc., Towson
State of Oregon
Lisa Brenner, Ph.D., on behalf of John Charles, Citizens for Quality Living, Sherwood
Mr. Brett McKnight, on behalf of Ms. Stephanie Hallock, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Portland
Dr. Thomas Stibolt, Kaiser Permanente, Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center, Clackamos
Ms. Katherina Woodward, Portland
State of Utah
Mr. Myron W. Lee, Tooele County, Department of Emergency Management, Tooele
Ms. Connie Nakahara, representing Mr. Dennis Downs, Utah Department of Environmental Quality and State and Territorial Waste Management Official, Salt Lake City
Mr. Jim Wangsgard, representing Mr. Dennis Downs, Utah Department of Environmental Quality and State and Territorial Waste Management Official, Salt Lake City
Additional Interest Groups and Individuals
Ms. Elizabeth Bartlett, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, Atlanta, Georgia
Dr. Dupont Durst, U.S. Army Chemical Research, Development and Engineering Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland
Mr. Alan Goldfarb, MITRE Corporation, McLean, Virginia
Mr. Matthew Hale, Office of Solid Waste, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Paul Johnston, The Earth Resources Center, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
Mr. Gerwyn Jones, Madison, New Jersey
Mr. David Keefer, Evaluator, U.S. General Accounting Office, Washington, D.C.
Mr. David Koplow, Lawyers Alliance for World Security, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Kier Lieber, Research Associate, The Henry L. Stimson Center, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Stephen A. McFadden, M.S., Independent Research Advocate, Pasco, Washington
Mr. Blaine McKusik, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Task Force, War Gas Disposal Committee, Wilmington, Delaware
Mr. Kyle Olson, Chemical and Biological Arms Control Institute, Alexandria, Virginia
Mrs. June Ottinger, Chemical Weapons Working Group, Anniston, Alabama
Mr. John Parachini, Executive Director, Lawyers Alliance for World Security, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Bob Pikul, MITRE Corporation, McLean, Virginia
Lawrence Plumlee, M.D., Washington Center for Environmental Health (former EPA Medical Science Advisor), Cabin John, Maryland
Mr. David Rowan, U.S. General Accounting Office, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Steven Setzer, Engineering News Record, McGraw-Hill, Atlanta, Georgia
Ms. Amy Smithson, The Henry L. Stimson Center, Washington, D.C.
Ms. Maria Vorel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Congressional Relations, Washington, D.C.
Invitees Who Submitted Written Statements and Comments
The Honorable Jack Jones, County Judge; the Honorable Jerry Taylor, Mayor, Pine Bluff, Arkansas; and the Honorable Raymond Ross, Mayor, White Hall, Arkansas
Mr. Thomas L. Askcraft, Coordinator, Office of Emergency Services, Jefferson County, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Mr. Brainard Bivens, Chemical Weapons Working Group Delegate, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
The Honorable Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Congressman, State of Colorado
Mr. Dennis R. Downs, Director, Utah Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste, Department of Environmental Quality, Salt Lake City, Utah
Ms. Donna M. Heivilin, Director, Defense Management and NASA Issues, National Security and International Affairs Division, U.S. General Accounting Office, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Douglas Hindman, Vice Chair, Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens' Advisory Commission, Richmond, Kentucky
Mr. Robert P. Hukill, Coalition for Safe Disposal, Worton, Maryland
Mr. Robert T. Jaske, P.E., Bethesda, Maryland
Ms. Karyn J. Jones, Citizens for Environmental Quality, Hermiston, Oregon
Ms. Susan Lee Jones, Citizens for Environmental Quality, Hermiston, Oregon
Ms. Toni Lampkin, Springfield, Oklahoma
Mr. Stephen A. McFadden, Independent Research Advocate, Pasco, Washington
Mr. John E. Nunn, III, Worton, Maryland (Letter—July 21, 1993 to the Stockpile Committee, copy of letter—July 30, 1993 to General Walter L. Busbee)
Mr. Wilbur Slockish, Jr., Rural Alliance for Military Accountability (RAMA), The Dalles, Oregon
Dr. John L. Spomer, Citizens for Environmental Quality, Hermiston, Oregon
Thomas B. Stibolt, MD, and Lis P. Brenner, Ph.D., Sherwood, Oregon
Stephen B. Thacker, M.D., M.Sc., Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia
Mr. Craig Williams, National Spokesperson, Chemical Weapons Working Group, Berea, Kentucky
June 10, 1993
Dear:
Our nation has a large stockpile of lethal unitary chemical agents and munitions. Congress has directed that the Department of Defense, which chose the Department of the Army as its principal agent, destroy this stockpile in a safe and effective manner. Though long embarked on a disposal program involving the incineration of all agent and munitions components, in October 1992 the Army was further directed to report to Congress by December 31, 1993, on potential alternatives to its baseline disassembly and incineration process. The Army report would include an evaluation of the report of the Committee on Alternative Chemical Demilitarization Technologies (Alternatives Committee) of the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). It would also include recommendations made by the NAS, or more specifically, the Committee on Review and Evaluation of the Army Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (Stockpile Committee). On June 30, 1993, these Committees will sponsor a Forum on disposal technologies for lethal chemical agents and munitions.
Before giving details on the Forum, I would like to provide some background on the overall NRC effort with regard to the Army Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program. The Stockpile Committee suggested to the Army in March 1991 that an evaluation of alternative technologies be undertaken. In November 1991, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Logistics and Environment) formally requested that the NRC undertake an independent study of alternative technologies. In early 1992, the NRC initiated a two-step effort.
First, the Alternatives Committee was established, with the task of preparing a broad review of potential alternative technologies. The Committee's report, Alternative Technologies for the Destruction of Chemical Agents and Munitions, is being released to the public today, June 10, 1993. A copy is enclosed for your perusal.
Second, based upon that report, and on the Stockpile Committee's knowledge of and considerable experience with disposal program requirements, it was asked to make recommendations to the Army on disposal processes that might be appropriate for systems capable of safe, economic, and timely disposal of lethal unitary chemical agents and munitions. This report is due from the Stockpile Committee in November 1993. As indicated above, information and recommendations from these reports would be included in the Army's December 1993 report to Congress.
As Chairman of the Stockpile Committee, I am writing to seek your participation in the June 30 Forum, which will be sponsored by both the Stockpile and the Alternatives Committees. The Forum will explore and discuss issues raised by the Alternatives Committee report, and is intended for those interested in agent and munitions elimination. A copy of the tentative agenda is enclosed. The Forum has four fundamental purposes:
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to briefly review the findings of the Alternatives Committee report;
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to review the technical issues being considered by the Stockpile Committee;
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to ensure that the Stockpile Committee is informed of citizens' concerns; and
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to review the evaluation methods and process that the Stockpile Committee will use to formulate its recommendations.
We hope to establish a sound, common language for discussing technical issues, for comparing alternatives, and for obtaining effective public comment on the planning of the disposal effort. Invitees to the Forum will include citizens and representatives from affected states (copy of Letter of Invitation to Governor enclosed), government agencies, environmental groups, and members from interested Congressional Staffs. An informal list of interested parties from your state is enclosed.
Your interest in these matters has come to our attention, which is why I am extending this invitation to you to attend the Forum. Should you be unable to do so, your written comments with regard to alternatives would be most welcome. Space at the Forum will be limited; therefore, please indicate your intentions to attend as soon as possible, but absolutely no later than June 24, 1993. Should you desire to submit written comments, please have them to us no later than June 25 in order that we may have them available at the Forum. A response form is attached for your convenience.
I apologize for this short notice. If you have any questions about the Forum, please feel free to contact Ms. Margo Francesco, National Research Council staff, by telephone at (202) 334-1902 or by facsimile at (202) 334-2620 for further details and information.
Sincerely yours,
Carl R. Peterson,
Chairman
Committee on Review and Evaluation of the Army Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program