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Russian Official Outlines Detailed Schedule to Eliminate Chemical Weapons Arsenal by 2012 By Mike Nartker WASHINGTON — A senior Russian official last week outlined in detail for the first time Russia’s plans to eliminate its vast Soviet-era stockpile of chemical weapons by 2012 (see GSN, Nov. 12). Viktor Kholstov, deputy head of the Russian Federal Industry Agency, delivered the presentation at a conference held Nov. 10-11 in Moscow, according to Paul Walker, director of the Legacy Program at Global Green USA and a conference participant. Under the Chemical Weapons Convention, Russia was obligated to destroy its stockpile of 40,000 metric tons of chemical weapons agent by 2007, but Moscow received last year a five-year deadline extension (see GSN, Oct. 27, 2003). As described by Walker, Kholstov told the conference that Russia to date had destroyed about 720 metric tons of its total stockpile, with most of the work done at a facility near Gorny. The facility is set to eliminate the remaining 400 metric tons of agent stored there by the end of next year, according to Kholstov (see GSN, Aug. 23). Kholstov also said that construction was set to begin next year at a disposal plant near Kambarka. Once completed, the plant would destroy its stockpile of about 6,300 metric tons of agent by 2009, according to Walker (see GSN, July 19). Both facilities will be used to destroy mustard and lewisite agents. The Russian official also addressed in his presentation the chemical weapons destruction plant being built near the city of Shchuchye — a project that is being aided by the United States, according to Walker. Kholstov said the facility is set to be completed in 2007 and that its stockpile of 5,400 metric tons of nerve agent would be destroyed by 2012 (see GSN, July 13). There have been disputes between the United States and Russia over the pace of construction at Shchuchye, with Moscow having wanted the facility completed in 2005, according to Walker. At last week’s conference, though, U.S. Defense Department official Patrick Wakefield said that Russia recently agreed to a schedule that would have the plant completed by July 2008, with destruction to begin in mid-2009. Walker said Wednesday that Russia’s apparent agreement to the new Shchuchye schedule was a “big step forward” in securing a more realistic plan. He also said, though, that Kholstov did not explain last week the difference between his schedule for construction and Wakefield’s report of the new U.S.-Russian agreement. In his presentation last week, Kholstov also described Moscow’s plans for construction of four additional plants to dispose of nerve agent stocks, according to Walker. As described by Kholstov, Russia has placed on a “fast track” the construction of a disposal plant near the city of Maradikova, set to be completed next year and expected to finish the neutralization of about 6,900 metric tons of agent by 2010. Two planned facilities, one each near the cities of Pochep and Leonidovka, are set to be ready in 2007 and are scheduled to complete the destruction of their respective 7,500 and 6,900 metric tons of agent by 2012, according to Walker. In addition, a planned facility near the city of Kizner is set to be completed by the end of 2008 and to destroy 5,700 tons of agent by 2012. Describing the schedule outlined last week by Kholstov as ambitious, Walker said that many conference participants were skeptical it could be met. “I think five years from now everyone will acknowledge this schedule cannot be met,” he said. As an example, Walker cited Russia’s plans to have the Kambarka facility built and its stockpile of 6,300 metric tons of agent destroyed in a total of four years. In contrast, it has taken the United States about 14 years to destroy 9,500 tons of its chemical weapons arsenal, he said. Walker also noted, though, that the agent stored at Kambarka was in bulk form, making it easier to destroy. Another factor that could delay destruction efforts is funding shortages, according to Walker. Russian officials reportedly announced at the conference plans to almost double next year domestic funding for destruction efforts, from $186 million allocated this year to about $390 million. Russian officials have complained, though, of delays in receiving promised Western aid — criticisms Western donors have said were unfair, according to Walker (see GSN, Nov. 11). The schedule described by Kholstov also raised concerns last week from representatives from the various regions where the plants are to be built, who asked if measures such as adequate warning systems, environmental monitoring and emergency response would be in place, according to Walker. The Russian officials at the conference “didn’t have a good response to all this,” Walker said, adding that the disposal schedule “precludes adequate preparedness.” He also said, though, that Russian officials emphasized that it was more important to handle chemical weapons elimination safely than to meet legal deadlines, such as that imposed by the Chemical Weapons Convention. The conference also marked the first time Russia has acknowledged that all chemical weapons destruction will take place on-site, Walker said. Previously, Russia had planned to neutralize nerve agent stocks at several sites, and then transport the resultant byproduct to Shchuchye for final elimination. Kholstov told the conference, though, that no materials would be transported, Walker said. The new plan could bring Russia into conflict with conditions imposed by U.S. lawmakers on U.S. aid to Moscow’s chemical weapons destruction, according to Walker. The U.S. Congress has imposed six conditions that Russia must be certified to have met before aid can be provided, one of which is that all nerve agent destruction will take place at a single site. U.S. President George W. Bush has the authority until the end of 2006 to waive the conditions or Congress could act to lift them altogether, Walker said. This week, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) introduced a bill that would eliminate all conditions placed by Congress on nonproliferation aid provided to Russia through the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, as well as those conditions specific to chemical weapons disposal assistance (see GSN, Nov. 15). Lugar plans to reintroduce his bill when Congress reconvenes in January.
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