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Negotiations have stalled between the U.S. Army and the Colorado Public Health and Environment Department over a demand by the state that chemical munitions stockpiled at the Pueblo Chemical Depot be inspected more often, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Sept. 11, 2009).
Colorado filed a lawsuit last summer that sought to increase the number of inspections per year of the 2,600 tons of mustard blister agent.
It was announced two months ago that an agreement on the issue had been reached and that state and Army officials were in talks on putting it into action. However, the two sides informed a federal court earlier this month that discussions were stalled.
At issue, according to Colorado, is the degree of protection depot personnel would get against non-mustard agent chemicals and whether the chemical weapons should be categorized as waste. The Health Department has argued that the chemical warfare materials should be considered hazardous waste materials, which Colorado regulations bar from being stored on a long-term basis in the state (see GSN, March 16; Associated Press/Google News, March 16).