Destruction of Abandoned Chemical Weapons (ACW) in China

Introduction
The Japanese ACWs in China left from the last war are currently estimated to amount to nearly 700,000 munitions. Since 1990, the Government of Japan, GOJ, has been, in collaboration with the Government of China, GOC, conducting site investigations and studying the ways and means of destroying those ACWs in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993. In July 1999, GOJ and GOC signed the Memorandum of Understanding on ACWs which set a framework for the destruction project. It was agreed, for instance, that the destruction of ACWs, will take place in China instead of removing them from the county. In April 1999, three months before the signing of the MOU, the GOJ established the ACW Office within the Prime Minister's Office as an implementing body of the project.

Thus the ACW project has entered the implementation phase, though because of the complexity of the project the implementation phase itself inevitably involves a lot of preparatory works, such as, continued site investigations, development of a technology system, continued studies of safety and environmental protection, and so forth.

In this brief presentation, I would like to go through followings; (1) review of existing ACWs in China, (2) overview of the whole project operation, (3) excavation and recovery works, (4) technology study and destruction scheme, (5) collaboration with China.

1. ACWs in China to destroy
Most of the estimated total of 700,000 ACWs are still underground; over 90 % are collectively buried in Haerbaling, Jilin Province. As a result of a series of site investigations, projectiles, canisters and drum cans have been unearthed from 15 sites and stored in seven temporary storehouses. Among those stored above ground, about 1700 projectiles, over 24,000 toxic smoke canisters and 13 drum cans are identified as ACW. Those recovered projectiles are either Yellow Munitions (Mustard, Lewisite) or Red Munitions (Diphenylcyanoarsine, Diphenylchloroarsine). Canisters are either Red Canisters or Green Canisters (Chloroacetophenone), and drum cans all contain Yellow agents.

ACWs in China have unique features; the number of ACW munitions to destroy are enormous; they are mostly still underground and have to be carefully unearthed; they are more than half century old and mostly rusted and corroded; many of them still have explosives (TNT, picric acid, etc.), and there is even a possibility that sensitive picrates are generated within some munitions; many contain arsenic. All these unique features and conditions make this destruction project complicated and demanding in terms of technology as well as project management.

2. Overview of the whole project operation
This project in China is different from a stockpile demilitarization program. It consists of two major operations; excavation and recovery on the one hand and destruction and disposal on the other. I will come back to each of them later, but here let me just give you an overview of the entire project plan we have in mind. I hope, you understand, however, that specifics of the plan are subject to review and that the consultation with the GOC is still underway.

1. Our plan is based on setting April 2007 as the target date for completion of the ACW destruction. It is not an easy target at all, but we have to do our best anyway having in mind that this is the date stipulated in the CWC.
2. The excavation in the major site, Haerbaling, should actually start before commissioning pilot facilities of destruction.
3. The study or development of a technology system appropriate for processing major types of ACWs should lead to a construction of pilot facilities and then complete facilities. In parallel, GOJ has a plan of developing small facilities to process smoke canisters, which are less toxic and explosive than other types of ACW.

For this fiscal year (April 2000-March 2001), GOJ allocated ¥ 3.6 billion ($33 million) for excavation works, technology research and tests, and other activities.

3. Excavation and recovery
The excavation and recovery works may involve more manpower and less technical complexity than the actual destruction processes. Still, taking into account a bunch of uneasy features and conditions mentioned before, thorough work plans have to be elaborated from various aspects including an explosion risk control, working environments, environmental protection, etc.

The main target of the excavation is certainly those hundreds of thousands of ACWs in Haerbaling and we are planning to start very soon some preliminary works, such as construction of an access road and survey of the soil and the air in the hills of Haerbaling. However, due to the scale and sensitive conditions of these buried munitions, it will take several years of preparation before we can actually start excavation in Haerbaling. The preparation includes, for instance, development of a remote-control operation system, construction of negative-pressure domes and other infrastructures, etc.

In parallel with the preparation for Haerbaiing excavation, we will conduct other excavation projects of smaller scale in various sites. This September, we worked on the first small scale excavation at Bei'an City, Heilongjang Province.

Bei'an is located some 400 km north of Harbin. The Chinese side had claimed that about 1,500 munitions including about 500 ACWs were buried close to a residential area and an immediate excavation was needed. The construction of a protective shield over the excavation site and other facilities was started in August prior to the actual excavation. During the two weeks of excavation started from 13th September, we unearthed 3,080 munitions including 897 ACWs: 733 Yellow Projectiles, 154 Red Projectiles and 10 others. The number was twice as many as the prior estimation. These ordnances were dug out by hands, identified by eyes and x-ray, then put in containers to be moved to the temporary storehouse in Qiqihar City about 300 km from Bei'an. Experts and workers from Japan and China worked together in very cooperative manner and safely completed the project.

4. Technology study and destruction scheme
As the consultation with China goes on, GOJ is elaborating and renewing a technology study plan as well as a destruction scheme.

We are intensifying the study of destruction technologies for major types of ACWs, namely, Yellow and Red projectiles, by setting technical requirements and evaluation criteria and focusing on fewer candidate technologies. This study, coupled with a study of explosion risk related to picrates, should lead to a decision of technology system for processing Yellow and Red projectiles. Studies of technologies for other types of ACWs, such as smoke canisters, will proceed separately; eventually they should either compose a part of or join a complete technology system to process all types of ACWs.

Before an entire plant will be constructed, we will build a pilot plant to process Red and Yellow projectiles, which are the majority of ACWs. Also it is possible to build small facilities exclusively to destroy smoke canisters, even before the completion of all studies of technology.

5. Collaboration with China
Since the MOU was signed last June, the consultation with China has become more frequent, specific and action-oriented. The GOJ set up the ACW Office in the Prime Minister's Office last April, and the GOCt opened its ACW office in the Foreign Ministry toward the end of last year. Contacts and consultations between the two offices are going more smoothly than before and in a very constructive manner.

In response to the Chinese request, we are facilitating proper flow of the relevant technical information possessed by private sector to the Chinese side. We are increasing opportunities for experts of both sides to directly talk on specific matters such as destruction technologies, environmental standards, explosion risks, etc. These moves, I believe, help better understanding and trust of each other in carrying on the project.

The destruction of Japanese ACWs left in China is a responsibility of Japan. The project, however, would not be possible were it not for the significant cooperation of China. The success of the Bei'an excavation was a excellent example of this cooperation. 75 Japanese and about 150 Chinese worked together at the excavation site. The Chinese built the protection walls, paved access roads, adjusting land to make working space, and evacuated nearby residents. The excavation process of digging, carrying, packing and storing munitions was done by experts from both sides. The cooperation enabled this project to finish in the scheduled period of two weeks without any accidents, although we unearthed twice as many munitions as previously estimated.

Editor's Note: ASA wishes to thank Director General Akio Suda for this very important, timely information. ASA thanks the ACW's Yasue Maeji for working with ASA to ensure editing accuracy. The world recognizes and congratulates the GOJ and GOC ACW joint teams for their superb efforts in these most difficult of tasks.

00-6, issue no. 81