Single small-scale facilities

The Chemical Weapons Convention permits member-states to operate a single small-scale facility for the production of chemical agents that are included in the schedules of the CWC. The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center is currently designated facility in the US. 

The verification provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention are not nearly as extensive as those employed by UNSCOM. The CWC inspectors will lack the access rights, the freedom of movement, and the surveillance opportunities enjoyed by UNSCOM. They will have to implement two systems of verification, involving routine and challenge inspections. Under the routine system, inspectors will be required to validate the declarations of participating states to the OPCW on topics specified in the treaty. This will include initial information on the size and composition of existing stockpiles, storage facilities, and any production facilities the actual destruction of those stockpiles and production facilities (or the conversion of the latter for purposes not prohibited under the Convention) the non-diversion of chemicals made in civilian facilities for military purposes and the operation of the single, small-scale facility pennitted to each state party for the production of Schedule 1 chemicals for research, medical, protective and other purposes. 

The national aggregate of all Schedule 1 chemicals within a State Party may not exceed 1 ton at any given time. Production data must be declared for the following the single small-scale facility (SSSF) with a maximum annual production of up to 1 ton per year per State Party for protective purpose facilities with aggregate production of up to 10 kg per year per State Party and for research, medical, and pharmaceutical facilities with an aggregate... 

Each State Party that produces Schedule 1 chemicals for research, medical, pharmaceutical or protective purposes shall carry out the production at a single small-scale facility approved by the State Party, except as set forth in paragraphs 10,11 and 12. 

The production at a single small-scale facility shall be carried out in reaction vessels in production lines not configurated for continuous operation. The volume of such a reaction vessel shall not exceed 100 litres, and the total volume of all reaction vessels with a volume exceeding 5 litres shall not be more than 500 litres. 

Production of Schedule 1 chemicals in aggregate quantities not exceeding 10 kg peryear may be carried out for protective purposes at one facility outside a single small-scale facility. This facility shall be approved by the State Party. 

Each State Party that plans to operate a single small-scale facility shall provide the Technical Secretariat with the precise location and a detailed technical description of the facility, including an inventory of equipment and detailed diagrams. For existing facilities, this initial declaration shall be provided not later than 30 days after this Convention enters into force for the State Party. Initial declarations on new facilities shall be provided not less than 180 days before operations are to begin. 

A State Party producing Schedule 1 chemicals at a single small-scale facility shall make a detailed annual declaration regarding the activities of the facility for the previous year. The declaration shall be submitted not later than 90 days after the end of that year and shall include ... 

The aim of verification activities at the single small-scale facility shall be to verify that the quantities of Schedule 1 chemicals produced are correctly declared and, in particular, that their aggregate amount does not exceed 1 tonne. 

Guidelines for the number, intensity, duration, timing, and mode of inspections at Schedule 1 Single Small-Scale Facilities and at other Schedule 1 facilities... 

Recalling that, in accordance with paragraphs 27 and 31 of Part VI of the Verification Annex, the Conference shall consider and approve model agreements for single small-scale facilities as well as for other Schedule 1 facilities ... 

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