Initial testing of a Projectile Mortar Disassembly system took place on May 9 in an Explosion Containment Room inside the Enhanced Reconfiguration Building.

Download the PCAPP May 2013 Monthly Status Briefing

Now that the ACWA Test Equipment (ATE) has arrived at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP), workers have been busy making good progress in the munitions processing area.

Testing of the Projectile Mortar Disassembly (PMD) system is under way in the Enhanced Reconfiguration Building. Workers are teaching the PMD robot to pick up ATE munitions and place them in the munition processing stations inside the Explosion Containment Rooms, which is the first part of the process of getting ready for actual munition processing.

As the robots are being programmed, other workers are busy making sure the conveyor systems function properly. The conveyors are used to transfer munitions between processing areas and are currently supporting testing with the ATE.

In other news, hiring for the plant continues to go well. At the end of April, a PCAPP Job Symposium attracted more than 300 people looking for work in the areas of maintenance and operations. By the fall, enough workers should be on site to fully staff two 24/7 shifts (four 24/7 shifts will be fully staffed during operations). Also in the fall, coming on board will be a new Demilitarization Protective Ensemble (DPE) trainer, which will allow the start of Toxic Area Training. This is significant because the staff who perform DPE entries can begin the rigorous training process.

Soon, we will see the arrival of the PMD and the Munitions Washout System (MWS) at the PCAPP Training Facility. This equipment will be used to train maintenance and operations personnel in preparation for munition processing.