Chemical weapons production facilities

Each State Party undertakes to destroy any chemical weapons production facilities it owns or possesses, or that are located in any place under its jurisdiction or control, in accordance with the provisions of this... 

PART V Destruction of Chemical Weapons Production Facilities and its Verification Pursuant to Article V... 

Systematic verification of chemical weapon production facilities and cessation of their activities... 

The detailed facility agreement for each chemical weapons production facility shall specify ... 

Law no. 98-467 of 17 June 1998 concerning the implementation of the Convention of 13 January 1993 on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (French CWC Act), Article 2. The full French text of the legislation can be found via . An English translation has been used for the purposes of this paper and is on file with the author. The French legislation also contains provisions relating particularly to chemical weapons production facilities, as well as to destruction facilities. See French CWC Act, Articles 3-6. 

Radilov, A.S., Nagomyy, S.V., Rembovskiy, V.R., Ermolaeva, E.E., Savelieva, E.I., Goncharov, N.V., Koryagina, N.L., Tsybulskaya, E.A., Khlebnikova, N.S., Tsymhal, F.A. (2007). Toxicological and sanitary assessment of waste products of the former chemical weapon production facilities. Rossiyskii Khi-micheskii Zhurnal [Russian Chemical Journal] LI(2) 77-82. (In Russian)... 

The First Review Conference considered the impact of developments in science and technology on the Convention s prohibitions. The definitions contained in Article II, in particular of the terms chemical weapons and chemical weapons production facility , were found to adequately cover these developments and to provide for the application of the Convention s prohibitions to any toxic chemical, except where such a chemical is intended for purposes not prohibited by the Convention, and as long as the types and quantities involved are consistent with such purposes. The First Review Conference noted, however, that science is rapidly advancing. New chemicals may have to be assessed in relation to their relevance to the Schedules of Chemicals of the Convention. The First Review Conference requested the Council to consider the developments in relation to additional chemicals that may be relevant to the Convention, and assess, inter alia, whether these compounds should be considered in the context of the Schedules of Chemicals. 

Article I of the CWC obliges states parties to destroy any chemical weapon stockpiles in its possession or which it has abandoned on the territory of another state party. As well, a state party must destroy its chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs) or convert them for peaceful purposes not prohibited under the Convention. A state party is required within 30 days of ratifying or acceding to the Convention to declare to the Technical Secretariat whether or not it possesses any chemical weapons or has possessed or produced them in the past. Likewise, old chemical weapons (OCW), both those produced before 1925, and those produced between 1925 and 1946, have to be declared. A state party must also notify the OPCW if it has... 

There are certain chemical munitions, materiel, and facilities that are not specifically included in the U.S. stockpile of unitary chemical weapons (those containing a single lethal chemical agent). These items are referred to as nonstockpile chemical warfare materiel and consist of binary chemical weapons, miscellaneous chemical warfare materiel, recovered chemical weapons, former chemical weapon production facilities, and buried chemical warfare materiel. 

In 1993, the United States signed the U.N.-sponsored Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and the Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction, commonly referred to as the Chemical Weapons Convention. The United States agreed to dispose of (1) binary chemical weapons, recovered chemical weapons, and former chemical weapon production facilities within 10 years and (2) miscellaneous chemical warfare materiel within five years of the date the convention becomes effective. If ratified by the U.S. Senate, the convention becomes effective 180 days after the 65th nation ratifies the treaty, but not sooner than January 13, 1995. Under the terms of the convention, chemical weapons buried prior to 1977 are exempt from disposal as long as they remain buried. In the United States, burial was... 

Former chemical weapon production facilities The facilities that are to be destroyed have been identified. However, the levels of contamination and deterioration are unknown. 4 0.42 10... 

Former Chemical Weapon Production Facilities Government-owned or contracted facilities used to (1) produce chemical agents, precursors for chemical agents, or other components for chemical weapons or (2) load or fill chemical weapons. These facilities are located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland Newport Army Ammunition Plant, Indiana Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas and Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Colorado. 

The Army has identified former chemical weapon production facilities that need to be cleaned up. They consist of buildings and equipment for producing, loading, storing and assembling chemical munitions and agents. These facilities are located in four states and are in various degrees of contamination and deterioration. 

Another unique problem area in Chesapeake Bay is the Edgewood arsenal (Aberdeen Proving Ground). This was the largest chemical weapons production facility in the world. For years, this facility dumped chemical weapons in the Chesapeake tributaries and, in one case, nuclear material near Delaware Bay. 

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into effect in 1997, prohibits all development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, transfer, and use of chemical weapons. It requires each state party to destroy its chemical weapons and chemical weapons production facilities, and any chemical weapons it may have... 

First, the CWC prohibited the development, production, acquisition, retention, stockpiling, transfer and use of all chemical weapons Furthermore, states that signed and ratified the agreement were required to declare any and all CW stockpiles. They were also required to destroy their chemical weapons within a reasonable amount of time— in anywhere from five to ten years—depending on their specific circumstances. States were also held responsible for the clean-up of any chemical weapons that had been abandoned in another state s territory. In addition, CWC members agreed to destroy or convert to peaceful use any chemical-weapons production facilities operated since 1946 under their jurisdictions. 

Within a given time frame, CWC member countries must declare all of their chemical weapons production facilities, all CW stockpiles and storage facilities, any chemical weapon munitions (filled or unfilled), and all abandoned CW agents and munitions. 

With respect to chemical weapons production facilities ... 

All chemical weapons production facilities specified in paragraph 1 shall be subject to systematic verification through on-site inspection and monitoring with on-site instruments in accordance with Part V of the Verification Annex. 

No State Party shall construct any new chemical weapons production facilities or modify any existing facilities for the purpose of chemical weapons production or for any other activity prohibited under this Convention. 

Each State Party shall, immediately after the declaration under Article III, paragraph 1 (c), has been submitted, provide access to chemical weapons production facilities specified in paragraph 1, for the purpose of systematic verification of the declaration through on-site inspection. 

---