Officials say Ukraine has launched a program to safely dispose of about 16,000 tons of a highly toxic Soviet-era chemical used in rocket fuel. ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Officials say Ukraine has launched a program to safely dispose of about 16,000 tons of a highly toxic Soviet-era chemical used in rocket fuel.

Acting Defense Minister Valeriy Ivashchenko says a first consignment of the liquid component, known as melange, was taken last month to Russia for recycling into chemicals for civilian use.

He says the melange was stored near populated areas and needed to be disposed of "as soon as possible."

The disposal program, organized and mostly funded by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, will cost up to 14 million euro ($21 million).

Ivashchenko saidDec. 1the work should be completed by 2012. He spoke on the sidelines of an OSCE conference in Athens.

The day before Ukraine's acting Defense Minister Valeriy Ivaschenko and U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Ukraine James Pettit have signed a memorandum of understanding between the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the U.S. Department of State on assistance in scrapping and demilitarizing 9K72 missile systems (NATO reporting name Scud).