How does one follow such a busy year as the Blue Grass project had in 2014? With an even more focused one in 2015!

As construction is nearing completion, systemization is ramping up. Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass continues to hire more people with testing, start-up and operational backgrounds. The Laboratory is testing instrumentation and equipment. Additionally, construction is underway on the Explosive Destruction Technology (EDT) facility site. Below, find out more about six highlights planned in 2015:

• Complete construction of the Medical Facility, Personnel Maintenance Building and Entry Control Facility: These facilities will all provide support for project workers, from medical screenings and first-aid care to lockers, showers and Demilitarization Protective Ensemble suit assistance, and, most importantly, secure entry and exit from the plant. Above-ground construction on the entry facility is almost complete. Workers are in the initial stages of construction on the other two buildings. When complete, they will each then be turned over to the systemization team for testing before the operations phase.
• Begin 24/7 staffing of the Control Room (CON): During operations, CON operators will oversee all aspects of the operation of the destruction facility, using the Facility Control System. The CON, as part of the Control and Support Building, has been turned over to the systemization team, who currently has beneficial occupancy of the building. As more systems are turned over, operators will be needed around the clock to monitor them, and test the full functionality of the CON.
• Start of National Research Council study on Criteria for Successful Treatment of Hydrolysate at Blue Grass: A public meeting on this topic is being held at the end of this month, and the study is projected to take about 15 months to complete.
• Completion of the Hydrolysate Storage Area (HSA) and Supercritical Water Oxidation Processing Building (SPB) tanks: The HSA tanks will hold the wastewater, or hydrolysate, from the destruction process as it waits for secondary processing. SPB tanks will hold effluents and water from the hydrolysate and reverse osmosis processes. Workers have been putting the final coating and insulation touches on the tanks, and they are now being readied for turnover to systemization.
• Introduction of natural gas to the site: This fuel will be used for heating the Utility Building boilers, which will provide hot water and steam to the site, among other uses. After this introduction, the boilers will be fired up and tested.
• Completion of factory acceptance testing and delivery of the Static Detonation Chamber unit, the EDT selected for the disposal of the Blue Grass mustard munitions. Workers are currently in the initial stages of site construction. Construction on the support facilities for this project will begin, as well.

Many more project milestones and updates will take place in 2015. Stay connected through our website and social media accounts, as well as at public involvement meetings.