Senator Mitch McConnell and Representative Ben Chandler visited the Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond Tuesday, August 25, 2009.
They put on safety goggles and hard hats as they watched workers constructing a building that will be used to destroy chemical weapons.
The Army estimates construction won't be complete until 2016, with the weapons not eliminated until 2021.
McConnell said he remains hopeful that schedule can be accelerated.
The project is also creating hundreds of jobs.

"The figures I was given, I hope this was not too ambitious, was at the peak here, we could have up to 600 people working here. A substantial majority of them, we believe would be Kentuckians," said McConnell.

McConnell also says the weapons need to be destroyed because of a chemical weapons treaty from the late 1980's and because of potential dangers.
Munitions containing 523 tons of sarin and mustard gas are among those stored in over 900 igloos at the site.