How does CDC help ensure that the Armys air-monitoring systems at the chemical weapons disposal sites are adequate to protect public health?
CDC’s role is to assist in providing continual improvements or refinements in air-monitoring technology for the chemical agent disposal program. Improving chemical agent detection and sensitivity levels, avoiding interferents, and reducing sampling and analytical time for near-real-time instruments are important goals endorsed by CDC. Although current monitoring systems are meeting the intended requirements, CDC regularly conducts oversight visits to examine air-monitoring systems. Recent reviews generated several recommendations for changes and improvements that will support operational schedules and that can be reasonably accomplished in a timely manner. These recommendations have been provided to the Army, and the Army is in the process of implementing them. CDC’s recommendations will improve air-monitoring systems without causing unnecessary program delays and the increased public risk associated with longer storage from such delays. In addition to the air monitoring systems, multi
