14 private firms apply to destroy Syrian chemical weapons

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Monday announced that it has received tenders from 14 private firms to destroy Syrian Commodity Chemicals and Effluents.A total of 14 private firms have submitted tenders to destroy 500 metric tonnes of Syria's commodity chemicals, as well as effluent from the neutralisation of its priority chemicals, at commercial facilities outside of the Syrian Arab Republic, said the OPCW in a press release.The tenders were opened in a public event at the Organisation's Headquarters in The Hague today, which was attended by representatives of private firms that submitted tenders and by interested OPCW delegations.They were received in response to a "Call for Proposals for Transport, Treatment and Disposal of Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Organic and Inorganic Chemicals, Effluents and Related Materials", as advertised on the OPCW Internet website.The deadline for submitting tenders was Sunday 19 January 2014, it added.