How are states going about destroying their chemical weapons stockpiles?
The treaty defines destruction of chemical weapons as “a process by which chemicals are converted in an essentially irreversible way to a form unsuitable for production of chemical weapons, and which in an irreversible manner renders munitions and other devices unusable as such.” Each state that possesses chemical weapons determines the specific method that it will use to destroy its stocks, but destruction must be accomplished in a manner that ensures public safety and environmental protection. Open-pit burning, land burial, and dumping weapons in any body of water are specifically prohibited as methods of destruction. Possible approaches to the full destruction of chemical weapons include incineration, cryofracture, chemical neutralization, and other thermal processes. States with chemical weapons stockpiles must present the Technical Secretariat with an overview of their destruction plans. This plan must include a general schedule of the types and approximate quantities of weapons t
