US Completes Decades-Long Campaign to Eliminate Chemical Weapons Stockpiles

At a military installation in Kentucky on July 7, a milestone was reached in the history of warfare. The U.S. destroyed the last of its declared chemical weapons, bringing to an end a decadeslong mission to eliminate a stockpile of over 30,000 tons.

This moment is a defining one for arms control efforts worldwide, as it serves as a reminder that these types of weapons are no longer acceptable on the battlefield. The weapons destroyed were the 51,000 M55 rockets filled with GB nerve agent, also known as sarin.

This stockpile was stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot since the 1940s. The weapons are being destroyed via a process called neutralization, which dilutes the deadly agents so they can be safely disposed off.

The U.S. faced a deadline of September 30th to eliminate its remaining chemical weapons under the international Chemical Weapons Convention, which was joined by 193 countries. The weapons' destruction alleviates a long-standing concern of civic leaders in Colorado and Kentucky, who worried what might happen with the weapons.

The same process was used in southern Colorado at the Army Pueblo Chemical Depot, which started destroying weapons in 2016 and completed their mission of neutralizing an entire cache of about 2,600 tons of mustard blister agent on June 22.

The destruction of the U.S. stockpile is a major step forward for the Chemical Weapons Convention, and a hopeful sign for the remaining countries that have yet to join. It also serves as a model for eliminating other types of weapons.

The U.S. is proud of how it has finished this mission, and hopes that it will be an example for other nations to follow. Arms control advocates are optimistic that this final step by the U.S. could nudge the remaining countries to join. With this milestone, a major watershed has been reached for Richmond, Kentucky and Pueblo, Colorado, and, hopefully, for arms control efforts worldwide.