RICHMOND, KY. – A significant milestone was reached on Friday at the Blue Grass Army Depot in eastern Kentucky, as the United States completed the destruction of the last of its declared chemical weapons. The event marks the conclusion of a decades-long campaign to eliminate a stockpile that once exceeded 30,000 tons and dates back to World War I.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell announced the completion of the weapons’ destruction, emphasizing its historical importance. This achievement holds significance not only for Richmond, Kentucky, and Pueblo, Colorado, where the last chemical agents were destroyed last month, but also for global arms control efforts.
Under the international Chemical Weapons Convention, the United States had a September 30 deadline to eliminate its remaining chemical weapons. The rockets containing GB nerve agent, also known as sarin, were the final remnants of the 51,000 M55 rockets stored at the Kentucky depot since the 1940s.
The destruction of these munitions not only marks the official disavowal of such weapons in the modern battlefield but also sends a powerful message to the small number of countries that have yet to join the Chemical Weapons Convention. By eliminating its chemical weapons stockpile, the United States sets an example and reinforces the international community’s commitment to disarmament.
The use of chemical weapons in warfare originated during World War I and resulted in the deaths of at least 100,000 individuals. Despite being banned by the Geneva Convention, countries continued to stockpile these weapons until the Chemical Weapons Convention called for their eradication.
In Pueblo, Colorado, the Army Pueblo Chemical Depot started destroying weapons in 2016. Last month, they completed the neutralization of approximately 2,600 tons of mustard blister agent, constituting around 8.5% of the nation’s original chemical weapons stockpile. The process involved meticulous handling and dismantling of the weapons by remote-controlled robots, followed by the safe disposal of the agents and decontamination of the projectiles.
The communities surrounding the storage facilities in Kentucky and Colorado expressed relief and satisfaction with the successful elimination of these weapons. The initial plan to incinerate the Kentucky weapons faced opposition due to concerns about potential toxic pollution. Eventually, an alternative disposal method was pursued, leading to the completion of the state’s disposal plant in 2015.
With the disposal of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile now complete, both communities highlight the availability of a highly skilled labor force as an asset for attracting companies to their regions.
The elimination of the U.S. stockpile is a significant step forward for the Chemical Weapons Convention, which has been ratified by 193 countries. While only a few countries have not yet joined, including Egypt, North Korea, South Sudan, and Israel (which signed but has not ratified the treaty), there remain concerns about undeclared chemical weapons stockpiles in countries like Russia and Syria.
As the final chapter of this military history closes, arms control advocates hope that the successful elimination of chemical weapons by the United States will serve as a model for other nations and encourage further disarmament efforts in the future. The achievement underscores the importance of political will and a robust verification system in banning weapons of mass destruction and creating a safer world.