Chemical security

To Safely Dispose Of Chemical Weapons, The U.S. Army Has Developed Some Next-Level Tools

The chemical weapons attack in Syria this past April was a tragic reminder of why most of the world has renounced the use of such munitions. And it’s sadder still that it came almost exactly 20 years after the enactment of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which calls for a halt to the production of chemical weapons and the destruction of any remaining stockpiles.

As lethal as any conventional attack, compounds like sarin and the nerve gas VX also cause an alarming amount of pain and suffering, and have been frowned upon by international governing bodies since at least the late 19th century. But getting rid of lethal chemicals encased in explosive shells is no simple task. For decades, the U.S. simply buried or burned its old or unwanted chemical munitions. But new environmental laws passed in the 1990s mandated that a more responsible approach be taken.