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Breaking News from America's Progressive Community... Latest
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The press releases posted here have been provided to NewsCenter by the one of the many progressive organizations we have selected to participate. If you would like more information about this press release, you should contact the organization directly. |
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| JANUARY
13, 1999 11:44 AM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chemical Weapons Working Group Craig Williams: (606) 986-7565 |
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| Inspector General's Report Slams Army for Y2K Non-Compliance in Chemical Weapons Incineration Program's Safety Systems | ||||
| BEREA,
KY - January 13 - The U.S. Army's failure to comply with official government directives for
dealing with potential Year 2000 computer problems at its chemical weapons
incinerators, documented in a recent Pentagon Inspector General (IG) report, is
"another example of the Army making image a higher priority than public
safety, " according to critics of the incineration program.
According to the December 24, 1998 IG Report, the Army's Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization (PMCD), "...failed to prepare the necessary Year 2000 documentation and has no contingency plans, risk management plans, system validation plan or schedule in place [to become compliant]." In addition, the IG Report raises serious questions surrounding PMCD's reports to the Pentagon on critical systems at their chemical weapons incinerators on Johnston Atoll in the Pacific and at Tooele, Utah. The IG states that PMCD, "...did not make timely progress in assessing information...did not prepare the necessary year 2000 documentation and...incorrectly reported the JACADS [Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System] subsystem status [to DoD]." Two subsystems identified as incorrectly reported--the control room communications system and the chemical agent monitoring system--are critical to the operation of the facility. The communications system records alarms, identifies problems with the plant alarm system, and monitors information related to mechanical function and furnace pressure and temperature. The chemical agent monitoring system detects the presence of nerve agent in the incinerators' smokestacks and in the facility generally. Concerning the monitoring system, the Report states, "The Y2K planning and execution stages are only in the initial phases...the program manager still has not determined if the [monitoring system] is Y2K compliant and will impact other interface systems." According to Federal Law PL 105-271, "Military Departments must provide plans for Y2K -related end-to-end testing of their respective functional process by November 1, 1998." An article in the January 11, 1999 issue of Federal Computer Week stated, "The fixes [at Tooele, Utah] have been delayed until the end of October 1999 because the Army does not want to interfere with ongoing disposal operations at the facility." And according to the IG, "The Army did not begin to assess the JACADS until the summer of 1998 because of other priorities such as the renewal of the EPA permit." The IG concludes that, "As a result, the Army may not be able to implement corrections before the turn of the century, thus increasing risk of mission impairment." Chemical Weapons Working Group spokesperson, Craig Williams said, "The Army's incineration program continues to give the highest priority to the amount of chemical agent burned even if it means disobeying Pentagon directives and federal law. It appears Army officials are even willing to submit erroneous reports if it will allow them to continue operating." The IG Report also blasts PMCD's lack of oversight of the problem saying, "The Army PMCD did not provide oversight at JACADS, ... did not visit JACADS, ... did not verify the progress reported to DOD and did not take appropriate oversight action to ensure that reporting was accurate and that documentation was available..." Williams said, "PMCD will defend its negligence by saying that the disposal schedule is all important because of the risk of continued storage of the weapons. However, the Army may be forcing longer storage of these weapons if the Y2K problems shut down operations next year. It's obvious Army officials are more concerned with being able to tell Congress how many pounds of material they've burned than in mitigating risk. Image has always been the Army's number one priority." -30- Copies of the IG Report and the Federal Computer Weekarticles are available from the CWWG. |
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