Russia Destroys Over 10,000 Tonnes of Toxic Agents

MOSCOW. June 3 (Interfax-AVN) – Russia has destroyed 10,500 tonnes of toxic agents in a third phase of the program to eliminate chemical weapons, Valery Kashin, the head of the Federal Department for Safe Chemical Weapons Storage and Disposal, told the press on Tuesday.

“We have destroyed 10,500 tonnes of toxic agents now,” he said.

Russia is due to recycle and destroy 18,000 tonnes of toxic agents, or more than 40% of its stock of chemical weapons, by the end of 2009.

The second phase of the project to build a Sarin disposal facility in the town of Maradykovsky in Kirov Region is nearing an end, Kashin said. In addition to this, a facility in the town of Leonidovka in Penza Region, intended to deactivate VX nerve agent, is expected to be accepted on June 16.

“We have no doubts that after the two facilities are commissioned, we will fully honor our commitments under the third phase [of chemical weapons disposal plan],” he said.

In Maradykovsky, not only the toxic agents, but also the by- products will have to be recycled, he added. “We will destroy them on time,” the official said.

Kapashin also said that, problems arose when a chemical weapons disposal facility was being built by a U.S. contractor in the town of Shchuchye in Kurgan Region. “We are happy that we joined in and coped with the situation,” he said, adding that the facility will be put into operation in December 2008, according to plan.

The construction of a chemical disposal plant in Pochep in Bryansk Region is proceeding in accordance with schedule, he said. The facility is to be commissioned in December 2009. “On June 10 I am going there with high-ranking German officials to inspect,” the facility, Kapashin said.

Switzerland has provided 65 million euro to Russia to build an electric power plant for a chemical weapons disposal facility in Leonidovka, he said.

Kapashin said that after Russia fulfils all obligations, a program to disassemble equipment, directly used in chemical weapons disposal will be carried out, and the soil and the plant will be decontaminated.

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