PB Arsenal to get more to destroy? - Arkansas Democrat Gazette
The Pentagon has drafted a plan to send more of its chemical weapon stockpile to the Pine Bluff Arsenal and three additional disposal sites to meet a 2017 deadline to destroy lethal …

Is Utah a pawn in Pentagon gambit?  - Salt Lake Tribune
Although Army officials acknowledge it’s a political non-starter, the Defense Department has resurrected the idea of transporting chemical weapons from Colorado and Oregon to Utah - a practice that has been widely opposed …

Officials hear chem demil plan options - The Pueblo Chieftain
Colorado officials received more information Wednesday on the options for speeding up the destruction of weapons at the Pueblo Chemical Depot. …

Weapons Destruction Will Miss Deadline - The Pueblo Chieftain - RedOrbit.com
The Defense Department agency responsible for weapons destruction programs in Pueblo, and at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, reaffirmed to Congress this week that it is not going to finish the work by a treaty …

Chemical weapons transport plan decried - United Press International
The Pentagon is considering a plan to ship chemical weapons to U.S. military sites to speed up their destruction, a report to Congress indicated. …

Report: Consider moving chemical weapons from Kentucky - McClatchy Newspapers
Destruction of chemical weapons stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot won’t be complete by a government-imposed 2017 deadline unless officials consider other options, including moving chemical weapons to destruction facilities in Alabama and Arkansas …

Critics say Pentagon admits neutralization works  - Salt Lake Tribune
For years, the military has insisted that there is no safer way to destroy its chemical weapons than the incineration process used at the Deseret Chemical Depot. …

Pentagon proposal would bring more chemical weapons to Utah  - ksl.com
The U.S. Army is considering a plan to ship more chemical weapons, such as nerve agent and mustard gas, to Utah, to be destroyed here. It’s an idea watchdog groups and state regulators appear ready …

Alabama Senator Attempts to Keep Chemical Weapons Away  - WBRC - MyFox Birmingham
A Pentagon proposal to bring chemical weapons to Alabama for destruction is under fire from an Alabama Senator. …

In order for the nerve agents and mustard gas to be transported across state lines, Congress will need to change the laws that prohibit transport of such agents. The plan is being met with opposition by concerned citizen and watchdog groups.

Pine Bluff Arsenal Completes Destruction Of Nerve Agent - The Morning News
The final nerve agent-filled land mine has been destroyed at the Pine Bluff Arsenal, moving the site a step closer to eliminating stockpiled chemical weapons, officials said Monday …

Ark. military arsenal finishes weapons destruction - The Associated Press - Forbes.com
A simple message in white paint adorned the last VX nerve-agent land mine that rolled through a conveyor belt on its way to incineration at the Pine Bluff Arsenal - “LONG TIME COMING.” …

All Explosives Destroyed At Pine Bluff Arsenal - TodaysTHV.com
The Pine Bluff Arsenal says it has finished destroying chemical weapons. Officials held a news conference Monday morning announcing they destroyed their last land mine last Friday. The arsenal has destroyed more than …

Also, Yemen showed its commitment to the CWC and held a course on chemical weapons, the CWC, the OPCW and the role of Yemen’s national authority in implementing the convention.

Finally, Iran released a statement calling on the international community to pressure the U.S. and other major powers to fulfill their obligations in CW disarmament. The statement was released in commemoration of Iran’s National Day Against Chemical/Biological Weapons.

Russia steps up destruction of chemical weapons - Reuters
Russia will open a new facility on Tuesday to continue destroying its formidable arsenal of chemical weapons, the world’s biggest, as part of its drive to eliminate all such weapons by 2012 …

Russia destroys more chemical arms - RussiaToday
Russia has taken a key step towards destroying all its chemical weapons, with the opening of another site to neutralise arms. The country is already ahead …

OPCW to prevent chemical weapons from falling to terrorists - ITAR-TASS
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will not cease to exist after the whole reported stock of chemical weapons in the world will have been destroyed …

Russia opens 4th chemical weapons destruction plant - Associated Press - International Herald Tribune
Russia opened a fourth plant Tuesday to destroy its chemical weapons stockpiles, which are the largest in the world. The destruction facility, near the site of one of Russia’s seven …

New chemical weapons destruction plant operational by August - RussiaToday
A new facility for destroying chemical weapons in Russia’s Penza region is expected to be operational by August. The new facility is part of Russia’s international obligation to …

This issue contains the opening statement by Director General Pfirter and the opening message from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. It also includes the perspectives on the Conference and its progress by Conference Chairperson Ambassador Waleed Ben Abdel Karim El Khereiji of Saudi Arabia, Open-Ended Working Group Chair Ambassador Lyn Parker of the United Kingdom, Ambassador Eric M. Javits of the United States, Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and China representatives Ambassador Oscar de los Reyes Ramos and Justo A. Quintero Mendez of Cuba and the Mission of South Africa on behalf of the Group of African States Parties. Several of the perspectives mention the difficulty in reaching agreements on the content and wording of the review conference final document. However, it was also noted that despite the painstaking process, commitment to the CWC, its fundamental principles, and the will to continue international cooperation for the future of the CWC all remained strong.

Also featured in this issue are perspectives from the NGO and industry communities. There is a short article by Daniel Feakes of the Harvard-Sussex Program and Richard Guthrie from CBW Events which in addition to their take on the RevCon, discusses the role of NGOs in the CWC. This year the RevCon was more ‘NGO-friendly’ than in the past, though more participation will be beneficial in the future. Niel Harvey who represented the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) and the European Council for the Chemicals Industry (CEFIC) at the RevCon authored an article that brings up of some of the issues of the CWC/OPCW communicating with and engaging the industry community. After encouraging industry participation in the drafting of the CWC, the OPCW needs to continue to work with industry officials. Chemical production facilities are subject to OPCW inspections under the CWC and as national CW stockpiles are diminished, industry will be the focus of the CWC.

Wildlife refuge reopens after chemical weapons cleanup - Brighton Standard-Blade
The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge will re-open Saturday, June 14, after a seven-month closure. The refuge closed in late October after traces of the chemical weapons agent Lewisite were found …

Ala. chemical weapons worker dies of heart attack - The Associated Press
A worker at an incinerator that destroys chemical weapons for the Army died of an apparent heart attack he suffered while working, a coroner said …

Chemical Weapons Incinerator Employee Dies on Job - The Anniston Star - RedOrbit.com
A subcontractor working at the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility died while on duty Wednesday afternoon. The cause of death for the employee, …

Employee dies at Anniston Army Depot, cause unknown - The Associated Press - al.com
An employee at the Anniston Army Depot incinerator died while on duty Wednesday but the death was not job-related, spokesmen said …

Worker dies at chemical weapons plant in Alabama - The Associated Press
Officials say a worker has died at an Army facility where chemical weapons are destroyed in northeastern Alabama. The laboratory worker at the …

From Russia:

Ukraine concerned over Russia’s chemical disposal plant - RIA Novosti
Ukraine is concerned over a Russian chemical weapons disposal plant currently being constructed 70 km (43 miles) away from its …

Construction of Chemical Weapons Disposal Facility Launched in Russia - ITAR-TASS - RedOrbit.com
The foundation stone of Europe’s largest plant for the destruction of chemical weapons will be laid near the town of Pochep in Bryansk Region on Tuesday [10 June], the spokesperson for the information centre for chemical disarmament …

Russia and Ukraine Close to Scandal Over CWD Plant - Russia-InfoCenter
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Russia considers that Ukraine unreasonably makes a fuss about construction of an object for chemical weapon …

From China:

Drills begin to ensure safe Olympics - China Daily
The potentially fatal chemical agent rendered some 30 victims unconscious. About 400 people acting as audience members evacuated the venue within three …

From Ireland:

Safety fears over cyanide disposal plan - Herald.ie
A plan to destroy 15kg of a lethal chemical in the Wicklow Mountains has sparked public safety fears. South Dublin County Council has confirmed the waste hydrogen cyanide will be destroyed by explosion later this …

The Open Forum took place on April 9, 2008 at OPCW Headquarters during the Second Review Conference of the CWC. It provided an opportunity for NGO, industry, and academic representatives to address the CWC members. The full presentations from the Forum are also available.

I also attended the Open Forum and posted a report on it on April 10.

A look at chemical weapons destruction in the US - The Associated Press
Percentages of the chemical weapons stockpiles that have been destroyed either by incineration or chemical neutralization at five active sites in the United …

VX agent disposal resumes at depot - East Oregonian
The Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility began processing VX nerve agent Monday morning following a two-and-a-half week break after a smoke incident on …

Army: US chemical weapons incineration on track - The Associated Press
When the Army began building incinerators to destroy tons of deadly chemical weapons, many feared the worst …

Emergency Drill Tests Response - The Pueblo Cheiftan - RedOrbit.com
A school bus accident is bad enough but add to the mix a tanker truck full of hazardous chemicals well outside of the city but in an area with large numbers of workers and …

Russia Destroys 10500 Tonnes of Chemical Weapons - Interfax - RedOrbit.com
During the third stage of the chemical weapons destruction programme, Russia has destroyed 10500 tonnes of toxic substances, the head of the …

Russia Destroys Over 10000 Tonnes of Toxic Agents - Interfax - RedOrbit.com
June 3 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia has destroyed 10500 tonnes of toxic agents in a third phase of the program to eliminate chemical weapons, Valery Kashin, …

Western Financial Assistance With Chemical Weapons Minimal: Kapashin - Interfax - RedOrbit.com
Under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Russia has signed, the country was to destroy 1% (400 tonnes) of its chemical weapons by April 2003 and 20% …

Russia destroys over 25% of its chemical weapons - RIA Novosti
Russia has destroyed over 25% of its chemical weapons arsenal, or 10500 metric tons, a senior military official said on …

Russia Destroyed ¼ of Chemical - Kommersant
Of 40000 tons of chemical agents, 10500 have been destroyed during the third stage of the chemical weapon destruction. With funding provided, Russia will be …

Russia Destroys a Quarter of Its Chemical Weapons - DefenseNews
Russia has destroyed more than a quarter of its chemical weapons stocks, in line with international treaties, a top disarmament official was quoted by Russian news agencies …

Russia says it’s cut chemical stockpile - United Press International
Russian officials said Tuesday the country has destroyed more than a quarter of its chemical weapons arsenal, amounting to 10,500 tons of material …

Federation Council to Ratify Deal on Russian-Italian Cooperation in Chemical Weapons Disposal - Interfax - RedOrbit.com
The Russian Federation Council will consider a bill ratifying an agreement between the Russian and Italian governments on cooperation in the disposal of Russian chemical weapons …