US Chemical Weapons Stockpile Elimination: Progress Update

23 September 2021
10:00 am – 11:30 am Washington DC Time

As part of its treaty obligations to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the United States must finish destroying all of its declared chemical weapons stockpiles by September 2023. 

With two years remaining before the stockpile elimination deadline, the CWC Coalition organized a discussion to cover what has been accomplished, what still lies ahead, and the importance of meeting the 2023 deadline.

Since becoming a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997, the United States has worked steadily to destroy its declared chemical weapons stockpiles. As of May 2021, the United States has destroyed 96.52% of its Category 1 chemical weapons stockpile and all of its Category 2 and Category 3 chemical weapons. The United States is the last of eight declared stockpile possessor states to complete its safe and permanent demilitarization of chemical weapons. 

Speakers:

  • Dr. Brandi Vann, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense
  • Irene Kornelly, Chair of the Colorado Citizens’ Advisory Commission

Moderator:  Daryl Kimball, executive director, Arms Control Association; and Paul Walker, Coordinator, CWC Coalition

For additional resources and speaker bios, please see below the video. 

Speaker Biographies

Dr. Brandi C. Vann

Dr. Brandi C. Vann is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense Programs at the United States Department of Defense. In this capacity, she conducts Department-level research, development, and acquisition (RDA) activities from concept and requirements development, through early science and technology, to advanced development, testing and evaluation, and procurement. From January to August 2021, Vann served as the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs (Acting, ASD (NCB)). Previously, Vann worked for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) as the Chief of Advanced and Emerging Threats. At DTRA, she led the assessment of future  chemical and biological (CB) combat threats to aid in the prioritization of capability investments to provide protection, situational awareness and recovery aid to the future force, as well as inform the creation of CB Doctrine and Concepts of Operations. Access Dr. Vann’s full biography here. 

Irene Kornelly

Irene Kornelly is the Chair of the Colorado Citizens’ Advisory Commission. The mission of the Colorado Citizens’ Advisory Commission is to advise federal, state, and local government officials and communities on issues of public importance in connection with the storage and destruction of the chemical weapons located at the Pueblo Chemical Depot. The Commission holds regular meetings with government officials and citizens, giving everyone an opportunity to express their concerns and ask questions. 

Additional Resources