Destroying Army's chemical weapons may take extra 2 years, $2.5B
Work to destroy the U.S. Army's remaining stockpiles of chemical weapons in Colorado and Kentucky may take longer and cost about $2.5 billion extra, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.
A statement released by the Defense Department said work at the Pueblo Chemical Depot could take until 2019 and work at the Blue Grass Army Depot might take until 2023, AP said. Both estimates are two years longer than the previous schedule.
DOD also increased the projected cost from $8 billion to $10.6 billion.
Federal officials said in the statement that the new projections reflect a more "conservative and realistic assessment" but that the work could be completed sooner depending on operational issues.
As of January, the U.S. had destroyed 90 percent of its chemical weapons stockpile in accordance with an international treaty.
Source: The Associated Press
