Russian Daily Views Chemical Weapons Destruction in Bryansk Region

Text of report by Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta on 9 May

[Report by Yuriy Gavrilov: "Facility 1204. Sergey Ivanov Checks Readiness for Chemical Weapons Destruction"]

Pochep [Bryansk Oblast] – Bryansk Oblast is one of six Russian regions where, for decades, toxic substances for military use were being stored.

Until recently, a secret garrison near the small town of Pochep was referred to, even in HQ documentation, as “Facility 1204.” In depositories camouflaged by woodland the military had accumulated a total of over 67,000 aerial bombs charged with deadly chemicals. Over 250,000 tonnes of sarin, 2,445 tonnes of “viscous” saman, almost 5,000 tonnes of VX gases – an arsenal sufficient to annihilate a large country’s population.

Fortunately, the states that possessed chemical weapons had enough wit and political will to adopt the international Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction. In 1997 Russia committed itself to a phased programme for destroying its stocks of chemical-warfare substances. First Vice Premier Sergey Ivanov yesterday [3 May] checked on how the fulfilment of these obligations was progressing.

Regarding the overall plan for destroying chemical-warfare substances in our country, Facility 1204 belongs to the final phase. The thing is that CW destruction requires the installation of a plant close to every special garrison, roads for transporting the CW stocks to it, and other essential infrastructure. Viktor Kholstov, the deputy chief of the Federal Industry Agency – the main organization in Russia responsible for implementing the Convention – told your Rossiyskaya Gazeta correspondent that, at present, three of the seven mandatory CW destruction facilities have come on stream. They are the plants at Mardykovskiy settlement in Kirov Oblast, at Kambarka in Udmurtia, and also special facilities in the Gornyy population centre near Saratov.

“We shall be launching three more plants in 2009 – at Leonidovka in Penza Oblast, at Shchuchye, near Kurgan, and at Pochep in Bryansk Oblast,” Viktor Kholstov promised.

At the end of April Russia completed stage two of its CW destruction programme – a total of 8,000 tonnes of chemical-warfare substances was destroyed. And we plan to be completely rid of toxic substances by 2012. The new plant in Bryansk Oblast is actually the one that will be engaged in destroying Russia’s last chemical bombs and shells. Right now, not far from the Pochep garrison, workers from Spetsstroy [the Federal Agency for Special Construction] are equipping the site of the future plant and laying down the railroad branch that will feed it. The project envisages the establishment here of an industrial zone, a watch complex, and military and residential towns. All in all, over 12 billion roubles are being invested in the construction.

“Once this facility has been brought on stream, over 7,500 tonnes of toxic substances will be destroyed here,” First Vice Premier Sergey Ivanov confirmed yesterday.

During his visit to the garrison he especially emphasized the fact that the CW disposal plant’s construction will in no way affect the safety of local inhabitants, servicemen, or the plant’s employees. Moreover, he said, the new construction will even help the region to resolve some of its social problems. This applies, in particular, to job creation, health protection, and solving issues of the region’s social and engineering infrastructure. For example, as well as the construction of lines for scrapping chemical weapons, a unique consultation and diagnostic centre has been established in Pochep.

In general, everything that is connected with people’s health in Bryansk Oblast, a region that suffered in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster, arouses exceptionally strong feelings. Knowing this, Sergey Ivanov incorporated the launch of two sports projects into his tour of duty in the region. Under the auspices of the charitable foundation for the “New Generation” sports programmes, of which the first vice premier is patron, and of the National Football Academy foundation, two modern soccer pitches covered with artificial turf will be built for local young sportsmen. In addition, Sergey Ivanov explained yesterday, the public organization that he heads will provide full health monitoring for all of the region’s children who will be entering first grade this year. For Bryansk Oblast, where there has been no such monitoring for the past three years, this is a highly significant benefit.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.