McConnell announces removal of deadly chemical weapons

(WAVE) - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says deadly chemical weapons held for decades in central Kentucky will soon be sent to “the ash heap of history.”

McConnell, military leaders and Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin were in Richmond on Wednesday to mark the beginning of the elimination of more than 500 tons of mustard gas, sarin or VX agent stored at an Army depot there.

McConnell has steered millions of federal dollars to the effort, dating back to the mid-1990s.

The military initially planned to destroy the weapons by burning them, but the facility built in Richmond will use water and chemicals to neutralize the agents.

The weapons are scheduled to be eliminated by 2023, but it’s not known when the project will start.

Copyright 2019 WAVE 3 News. The Associated Press contributed to this report.