| The process of destroying chemical weapons in Russia is dragging on The topic of chemical disarmament in Russia is either intensely discussed or completely subsided. Meanwhile, the first plant for the destruction of toxic substances is already operating in the village of Gorny, Saratov region, and new similar facilities are on the way. Having achieved a postponement of the implementation of the international Convention on the Destruction of Chemical Weapons a year and a half ago, Russia no longer has the right to be late and ask for new delays and therefore is making every effort to plan the destruction of its 40 thousand tons of toxic substances. Participants in this complex and contradictory process talk about how chemical warfare agents are being eliminated today, how important foreign assistance is in this, and how similar processes are going on with the main partner, the United States.
Who helps Russia in chemical disarmament
Natalya KALININA, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, former advisor to the Russian government:
-- International assistance to Russia in the destruction of chemical weapons is very heterogeneous. Not all of our Western partners are equally active. Germany has agreed to participate in the creation of a chemical weapons destruction (CW) facility in the Udmurt city of Kambarka. The cost of the project, according to the Russian side, is about 7 billion rubles. and 360 million euros. The Germans also intend to continue the construction and operation of the facility in the village of Gorny, Saratov region. The volume of annual assistance is about 30 million euros.
Italy has been proposed to build a chemical weapons detoxification facility (CW) in the city of Pochep, Bryansk region. Its cost is about 9 billion rubles. and 390 million euros. After lengthy negotiations, an intergovernmental agreement was signed on the allocation of 360 million euros over five years. Previously, Italy decided to increase the amount of assistance in creating engineering infrastructure for the facility in Shchuchye - approximately $6.9 million.
The UK has proposed a project for the construction of a facility for the detoxification of toxic substances in the village. Maradykovsky, Kirov region, worth about 6.6 billion rubles. and 380 million euros. So far the British have not supported the proposal. As part of the current intergovernmental agreement of 2001, which provides for the allocation of 12 million pounds sterling, an agreement was reached on an additional allocation of 10 million dollars for the creation of engineering infrastructure for the facility in Shchuch'ye. Through the same agreement, Norway plans to allocate about $2 million for the purchase of equipment for the electrical substation of the facility in Shchuchye.
Canada has proposed the construction of a chemical weapons detoxification facility in the village of Leonidovka, Penza Region, worth 6.3 billion rubles. and 330 million euros. Canada has not yet made a decision, but it has allocated an additional $20 million for the construction of the engineering infrastructure of the facility in Shchuchye and the modernization of the physical protection system for the chemical waste storage facility in Leonidovka.
There are no existing agreements between France and Russia in the field of global partnership. At the negotiations, the French name a figure of 10 million euros, which they may use to improve the environmental monitoring system in the village. Mining and ensuring the safety of chemical weapons storage in Kizner. But there is no official document formalizing this agreement yet.
The European Union, together with Great Britain, has been invited to take part in the construction of a chemical weapons detoxification facility in the village of Maradykovsky, Kirov Region. The European Union showed no interest in this project. Although he previously assisted in the construction of a plant for the destruction of chemical weapons in the village. Gorny, allocating 5.8 million euros. Outside the framework of intergovernmental agreements, the European Union took part in Russian projects to create environmental monitoring systems in Gorny (4 million euros) and convert a chemical weapons production facility in Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod region. An agreement was reached on the European Union joining the agreement between Russia and Great Britain on its contribution of 2.1 million euros to the financing of the construction of the engineering infrastructure of the facility in Shchuch'ye. There is no development of any larger project to destroy chemical weapons within the framework of the global partnership.
In total, Russia will need about 30 billion rubles for four objects (Kambarka, Maradykovsky, Leonidovka, Pochep). and 1.5 billion euros - provided that the work is carried out by Russian organizations and companies. If foreign companies are involved in the construction and operation of facilities, costs will increase at least three times - due to the difference in payment for the services of Russian and foreign contractors. These calculations do not include US costs for the construction of the facility at Shchuch'ye and for the transportation of chemical weapons.
As is known, the United States has committed itself to the construction of a facility in Shchuch'ye. The declared volume of assistance from 1993 to 2004 was more than $700 million, but in reality no more than $70 million was disbursed by Russian contracting organizations. In 2004, the situation improved somewhat, but the allocation of funds is subject to many reservations. They are more of a political nature and demand from Russia completeness and accuracy of information about Russian chemical weapons stockpiles, access of American experts to facilities not declared in the Chemical Weapons Convention, etc. The construction of the CWD facility in Shchuch'ye may be frozen at any moment. There are no new proposals from the American side yet.
Japan does not participate in chemical disarmament work and does not plan to do so. The volume of assistance from all G8 countries to the destruction of chemical weapons within the framework of the global partnership program in 2003 amounted to less than $100 million, in 2004 - about $120 million. However, these amounts are largely declared. Therefore, the Russian government decided to significantly increase its own budget funding.
Control is too expensive
Alexander GORBOVSKY, head of the management department of the Center for Conventional Problems and Disarmament Programs of the Federal Agency for Industry:
-- The government has appointed the Federal Agency for Industry as the national body responsible for fulfilling obligations under the international Chemical Weapons Convention. Among his responsibilities is ensuring international control of Russian facilities for the storage of chemical weapons (CW), their production and destruction, as well as facilities related to the chemicals mentioned in the convention. After the launch of the first chemical weapons destruction facility in the village of Gorny on December 19, 2002, an inspection team of the international Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), headquartered in The Hague, has been constantly working there. The costs of inspecting chemical weapons-related facilities shall be borne by the inspected State. Payment for other inspections comes from the OPCW.
One of the main problems is the reasonable sufficiency of control. After the convention was signed in 1993, the costs of international control of Russian facilities were estimated at $500 million over ten years. In 1997, with the ratification of the convention, control procedures were more clearly defined and costs were projected to amount to $220 million. Today, up to $1.5 million is needed annually to inspect one chemical weapons destruction facility. In 2004, seven visited Russian storage facilities inspection teams of seven to eight people each. The costs are considerable, although their reduction is quite possible. Modern instruments and tools are increasingly being used to reduce the number of inspectors. In Gorny, for example, instead of eight people there are already five working. Negotiations are underway with the OPCW Technical Secretariat to optimize procedures for inspecting facilities under construction. The European Union announced the allocation of about 2 million euros for the purchase of modern control equipment for the facility.
However, the OPCW also intends to control the reaction masses that are obtained after the detoxification of toxic substances. Although this is just a mixture of organic substances, which are not classified as chemical weapons by the convention. Expansion of control will lead to significant costs for states parties to the convention. The Russian side cannot agree with them. And the savings can be used to build facilities for the destruction of chemical weapons. This will significantly reduce the time required to fulfill the obligations of the convention.
Mountain calm
Victor PETRUNIN, director of the State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology (FSUE GosNIIOKhT):
-- About 1,200 tons of toxic substances were stored at a facility in the village of Gorny, Saratov region. This is not much compared to our other arsenals, but all types of blister agents are concentrated here: lewisite, mustard gas, a mustard gas mixture - lewisite, a mixture of mustard gas - lewisite - dichloroethane, a solution of mustard gas in diesel fuel. The lewisite destruction installation at the plant has experimental status, its productivity is up to 90 tons per year. The mustard gas destruction installation is a pilot plant with a capacity of 300 tons per year. Mustard-Lewisite mixtures will be destroyed at the same installation.
In Gorny, Russia fulfilled its international obligations of the first stage of the convention - it destroyed 1% of all chemical agents reserves. Today, lewisite is being destroyed in Gorny. The facility has reached its design capacity. There were only three stops: two were planned and preventive in accordance with the approved schedule, one was for reconstruction associated with the intensification of the destruction process. Thousands of analyzes of the reaction mass, air, and wastewater have been carried out. No excess of the permissible residual content of lewisite in the reaction mass was detected. The possibility of increasing productivity has been identified.
On October 25, 2004, the facility was launched in a new operating mode. Its productivity should increase to 150 tons per year. The facility has implemented a system of production control over the safety of operating personnel, the population living in adjacent areas, and the environment. In total, the facility has 67 automatic monitoring devices for air and ventilation emissions and 90 stationary posts for sampling the air and ventilation environment. To monitor the effectiveness of air purification systems, 184 sampling probes are embedded in the air ducts.
How it's done in America
Kevin Flamm, head of the chemical weapons destruction program at the US Chemical Materials Agency:
-- More than 10,110 tons of toxic substances have already been destroyed in the United States. This is more than 32% of the initial OM reserve. Chemical weapons are now being destroyed at four sites: Tooele (Utah), Aberdeen (Maryland), Anniston (Alabama), and Umatilla (Oregon). Moreover, more than half of the reserves in the first two arsenals were destroyed. Two sites - Pine Bluff in Arkansas and Newport in Indiana - are being prepared for operation. In addition, mobile systems for the destruction of chemical agents that are not stored in warehouses operate successfully. In the spring of this year, the Johnston Atoll chemical agent destruction system will be closed as it has fulfilled its function and is now environmentally safe. By December 2007, it is planned to destroy 45% of American toxic substances.
Using an explosive destruction system, accidentally discovered chemical munitions are eliminated. For example, eight unknown 75 mm rockets were destroyed at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, 22 accidentally discovered chemical munitions were destroyed at the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, and one unidentified 4.2-inch mine was destroyed at Camp Seibert, Delaware. By April 2007, the United States plans to dismantle all former chemical weapons production facilities.
More transparency
James HARRISON, Deputy Director of Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, UK Ministry of Defence:
-- In 2005, Great Britain presides over the G8. In this capacity, we will continue to prioritize preventing the proliferation of weapons and means of mass destruction. As part of the global partnership, we will raise the topic of fulfilling our obligations. There are three areas in which we think the Russian government could do more to help donors. First, donors need to see a clear, realistic, comprehensive plan for how Russia intends to meet its commitments to eliminate chemical weapons. It is becoming increasingly clear that the current Russian CWD program, approved in 2001, is unrealistic. As we understand, a new one is expected.
Donors expect the same level of openness on the Russian side as they provide themselves. In particular, bringing to their attention the Russian program, information about its financing and the nature of spending funds on the destruction of chemical weapons. A clear description of the projects for which donor funds are sought is necessary. Such transparency will convince finance ministries and parliaments of donor countries of the need for new or additional funding. The UK tried to set an example by presenting two reports on the level of its contributions to the global partnership.
Finally, donors find it much easier to implement projects if there are fewer bureaucratic hurdles. This refers to rules and regulations and delays associated with negotiations on bilateral agreements. Donors continue to face problems obtaining visas or access to monitoring sites. Without these unnecessary barriers, donors could provide more assistance at a faster pace. In recent years, the international community has increased confidence in the Russian chemical weapons destruction program. This contributed to increased funding.
Transporting chemical weapons is more expensive than building a plant to destroy them
Viktor KHOLSTOV, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Industry:
-- Russia will have to destroy about 4.5 million artillery and aviation ammunition, filled mainly with toxic nerve agents. There are also reserves of blister agents, which are stored in stationary large-capacity containers and barrels. Today we must fulfill the obligations of the second stage of the convention - destroy 8 thousand tons (20% of reserves) by April 29, 2007. For the work planned for 2005, 11 billion 160 million rubles were allocated from the budget. Priority is given to the construction of facilities for the destruction of chemical weapons in the city of Kambarka in Udmurtia and the village of Maradykovsky in the Kirov region.
The arsenal in Kizner, Udmurtia, is also included in the system of chemical weapons destruction facilities. It was initially assumed that artillery chemical ammunition from Kizner would be transported to the Shchuch'ye plant and destroyed there. However, construction of this facility is delayed until approximately 2008. As a result, we will not fulfill our obligations under the convention. In addition, transportation of chemical agents requires the most stringent safety measures, which will lead to greater costs than the construction of a plant in the storage area.
When implementing our plans for chemical weapons destruction, we count on foreign assistance. To date, the Russian side has signed 28 intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements. All this allows us to count on attracting an additional $1 billion in the next five years. But we must proceed from the realities of today. Under existing agreements, the allocation of about $1,346.8 million is provided, but in reality only $216.03 million was received. The total cost of construction of CWD facilities is about $3 billion. That is, the gratuitous assistance received is only 7% of the need. Another problem is that assistance from foreign partners is provided on an annual basis. This makes long-term planning difficult.
Do Americans need it more?
Sergey BARANOVSKY, President of the Russian Green Cross, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor:
---The President of Russia recently spoke about the need for civilian control over security agencies. The experience of commissions of public advisors developed in the field of chemical weapons destruction has precisely elements of such control. The commission included representatives of political parties, businessmen, residents of regions where chemical weapons are stored, and representatives of public organizations expressing different points of view. They participate in the development of decisions or recommendations, and the administration willingly enters into dialogue with them.
At the end of last year, we invited the heads of both chambers of the Russian parliament and the heads of relevant committees to a forum-dialogue on chemical disarmament. But none of the parliamentarians came, or even sent an assistant. Only the Chairman of the Federation Council sent greetings. But for residents of six regions of our country, the destruction of chemical warfare agents stored there may be the main problem in their lives. At the same time, representatives of the American Congress and Senate flew to us across the ocean. The governments of Switzerland, the United States and Great Britain provide money for our forum. Canada promises to join next year. True, now Russian money is allocated for information work with the population, thanks to the efforts of the State Commission on Chemical Disarmament.
The editors of "News Time" thanks for the help in the preparation of the page Russian Green Cross Prepared by Nikolay POROSKOV |
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