European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday. February 26, 1988 the stars and strips Page 5 army to Burn Gas weapons at Sites will build incinerators at 8 depots in . By Norman Black a p military writer Washington the army announced tuesday thai in will build incinerators at eight ammunition depots around the country to destroy old Chemi Cal weapons because it does t want to risk moving them "1 think we could do in either  Laid undersecretary of the army James a Ambrose i he official who made the final  it is my judgment. That in is much More sensible in every respect. To do in where it is we think we can exercise much bal ice control on n combined Federal Reser vation than we can transporting Ellis stuff Over Many states and through cities and inc  the army has favored on Sile destruction of its old chemical stocks Ever since in began studying the matter More than two years ago. And just last december released an environmental Impact study supporting int approach. Some members of Congress however have contested the. Army plans saying the service has t demonstrated the safely of burning the chemical weapons near population centers. We think these plants Are extremely Safe Ambrose said at a Pentagon Brief ing. We think the safely is greatly in Csc Ess of that required by any of the known rules and taws.1 he said the army Hopes to begin building the eight incineration plants by 19r9 or 1990. Hut conceded that the timetable could be slowed by litigation or by Congress. The weapons Are stored at the Aber Deen proving ground Mil. Anniston army depot Ala. A Cuington Niue grass army depot by Newport army am munition Plant ind. Title Bluff Arsenal Ark. Pueblo army depot Colo. Too Csc army depot Utah and Umatilla. Army depot Ore. The army s stockpile of unitary chem ical weapons in which shells and bombs arc filled with i variety of nerve gases and poisons is on average More than 25 years old. Although the army won t say How targe the stockpile is published Esti mate have ranted from 25,000 tons to 0.000 tons. Ambrose said it would Cost Between 12 billion and $2,5 billion to dispose of the old weapons and that the Job could be completed by 1996 or