Translated material
From Paris to Shchuchye
The horrific consequences of the combat use of chemical weapons became the impetus for the international community to adopt the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction in 1993 in Paris. Of course, without the participation of the Russian Federation and the United States of America, which possess 97% of the world's chemical weapons reserves, this international document would lose its significance. By the time the convention came into force in 1997, Russia's chemical weapons stockpiles amounted to about 40 thousand tons of toxic substances, of which 32 thousand tons had a nerve-paralytic effect, and 8 thousand tons had a blister effect.
100% of the nerve agents and 4% of the blister agents were stored in ammunition casings and various devices. 96% of the reserves of skin blister toxic substances produced back in the 40s and early 50s of the last century were stored in stationary large-capacity containers. In addition, there were unloaded ammunition, devices, explosive and powder charges (Category 3 chemical weapons, as defined by the convention), as well as stocks of phosgene in artillery ammunition (Category 2 chemical weapons, as defined by the convention). All these stocks were concentrated in seven chemical weapons storage facilities (arsenals).
To implement the convention, the Russian government in 1996 approved the federal target program “Destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles in the Russian Federation.” In accordance with it, in 2012, all stockpiles of chemical weapons in the Russian Federation must be destroyed. The results obtained to date and the work experience accumulated in this area indicate the reality of our state meeting these deadlines. From April 2001 to March 2002, in strict accordance with the provisions of the convention, the destruction of category 2 and 3 chemical weapons was completed. In April 2003, Russia fulfilled the first stage of its international obligations to destroy stockpiles of category 1 chemical weapons (the chemical warfare agents themselves) .
At the pilot industrial facility in the village of Gorny, Saratov region, 400 tons of chemical weapons were destroyed, or 1% of the total stockpiles of chemical weapons. From April 2003 to April 2007, the main efforts were aimed at fulfilling the second stage of obligations under the convention. The facility in Gorny continued to operate, construction was completed and operation began on two more facilities for the destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles - in the city of Kambarka, Udmurt Republic (March 2006) and in the village of Maradykovsky, Kirov Region (August 2006). Today, work is underway to create three more facilities for the destruction of chemical weapons - in the village of Leonidovka in the Penza region, the city of Shchuchye in the Kurgan region and the city of Pochep in the Bryansk region, and the design of a plant in the village of Kizner in the Udmurt Republic is being completed.
On December 23, 2005, at the Gorny facility, the destruction of all stocks of toxic substances with blister effects was completed. Today, this facility is recycling waste obtained during the destruction of chemical weapons, as well as accumulating for subsequent disposal of arsenic-containing reaction masses obtained as a result of the destruction of lewisite at the facility in Kambarka. In April 2007, the task facing the Russian Federation to fulfill the second stage of obligations under the convention - the destruction of 8 thousand tons of toxic substances - was completed.
By October 29, 2007, the following amount of chemical weapons had been destroyed in the Russian Federation: at the site in the village of Gorny, Saratov region - 1143 tons, in the city of Kambarka, Udmurt Republic - 4333 tons, at the Maradykovsky site in the Kirov region - 4157 tons. In total - 9633 tons of blister agents and organophosphorus agents, this is 24% of the total reserves of toxic substances.
One of Russia's main obligations under the convention is the destruction of former facilities for the production and development of chemical weapons. In accordance with the decisions of the conferences of the states parties to the convention, of the 24 declared Russian facilities, eight are subject to physical destruction, and for 16 facilities, applications and detailed plans for conversion have been agreed upon with the international Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The chemical weapons development facility located in Shikhany, Saratov region, is subject to physical destruction.
To date, of the eight objects planned for destruction, all have been eliminated, of which seven have already received OPCW certificates of destruction. Of the 16 facilities subject to conversion, 15 have completed the creation of commercial conversion facilities and received the appropriate OPCW certificates. Economic activities are carried out on them. All converted facilities were degassed, specialized equipment, buildings and structures were dismantled and destroyed. At the former chemical weapons development facility in the city of Shikhany, a production base is being prepared for the destruction of the buildings of this facility contaminated with toxic substances.
Ensuring the safety of storage and destruction of chemical weapons is identified by the state as a priority task. Therefore, when designing CWD facilities, proven domestic destruction technologies are used that are safe in industrial, fire and environmental terms. Project documentation is subject to comprehensive examination by control and supervisory authorities at the regional and federal levels, including state sanitary, hygienic, environmental and construction examination. A comprehensive security system is being created, which includes automated process control, industrial environmental monitoring of the environment, the health status of the population and facility personnel, fire extinguishing systems, a local warning system in case of emergencies and a number of others.
Sanitary protection zones and protective measures zones have been established for all facilities for the storage and destruction of chemical weapons. They are constantly monitored, as well as the working and industrial areas of the facility. According to environmental monitoring data, the environmental situation remains stable; no cases of exceeding environmental quality standards for specific indicators have been recorded. At all facilities, military units and subdivisions have been formed to protect and defend them, to eliminate the consequences of possible emergency situations, the technical condition of chemical munitions is systematically checked, and work is carried out to maintain them in a safe condition.
Sanitary, hygienic, anti-epidemic and treatment and preventive measures will be carried out until the completion of the destruction of chemical weapons. A unified register of citizens engaged in work with chemical weapons and the population living and working in the zone of protective measures of facilities for the storage and destruction of chemical weapons is maintained.