The Army has shifted oversight of its chemical weapons disposal program from one high-ranking official to another, a shuffle welcomed by those who have lambasted the program for time and cost overruns and a lack of accountability.
The chemical demilitarization program previously had been divided between two Army offices. Wednesday's move consolidates responsibilities for the program under the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment.
While the Army bills this shift as a smoother way of doing business, others say it's an acknowledgment of long-standing problems within the program.
"(The announcement) is a signal from the Army that they recognize the chemical demilitarization program is fundamentally broken," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, one of the program's harshest critics.
Last spring, McConnell, along with Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, called for a restructuring of the program. They cited a sense of mistrust in the communities impacted by the program, a result of what they considered misleading testimony and finger-pointing on the part of its leadership.
In May, after a flurry of letters from Alabama politicians, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld moved the chemical demilitarization program into his office.
Shelby praised this week's move.
"This decision indicates the Army's recognition that the chemical demilitarization program needs day-to-day oversight and leadership," Shelby said. "This is absolutely a positive development for the program."
What the development means for Anniston, where more than 2,000 tons of chemical munitions are to be incinerated in a process scheduled to begin next summer, is unclear.
"The impact should be higher up on the chain of command as opposed to an immediate change in Anniston," said Mike Abrams, spokesman for the incinerator.
Joseph Summers, a legislative aide to Shelby, said a recent meeting with Dr. Mario Fiori, the assistant secretary now charged with oversight, was productive.
"We feel very good about most of the things he had to tell us, especially from a safety standpoint," he said.
Established in 1985, the program also operates disposal facilities in Oregon, Arkansas, Indiana and Maryland. Future sites will be in Kentucky and Colorado.
