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Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)
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      Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)


      Mission: The safe elimination of chemical weapons at Pueblo and Blue Grass by Sept. 30, 2023

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      Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP)

      BGCAPP is safely destroying the chemical weapons stockpile currently in storage at the Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond, Kentucky.

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      Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP)

      PCAPP is safely destroying the chemical weapons stockpile currently in storage at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado.

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System Restarts Chemical Agent Destruction Operations in Colorado

Published: October 6, 2015 | Category: PCAPP News, Technology
With the help of a metal seal ring (used inside the vessel during door closure), Bruce Huenefeld, site project manager for the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Explosive Destruction System (PCAPP EDS), describes the process by which the EDS door seal was repaired. Huenefeld spoke at the Citizens’ Advisory Commission meeting held in Boone on Sept. 30.

With the help of a metal seal ring (used inside the vessel during door closure), Bruce Huenefeld, site project manager for the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Explosive Destruction System (PCAPP EDS), describes the process by which the EDS door seal was repaired. Huenefeld spoke at the Citizens’ Advisory Commission meeting held in Boone on Sept. 30.

Operations at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Explosive Destruction System, or PCAPP EDS, restarted Oct. 5 with the successful destruction of four 155mm projectiles.

“Speaking for myself and the EDS crew, we are absolutely thrilled to be back in operations,” said Bruce Huenefeld, site project manager.

Huenefeld said it took some time to arrange for the repair and get the necessary equipment and specialists on site, but each step was prudent.

“It was good that we proceeded carefully on the repair and verified and documented each step,” he said. “The end result is a fully restored EDS door sealing surface that is as good as or better than before the damage.”

The project had been paused since technicians discovered the system’s door seal surface was damaged Aug. 7. The seal surface was welded and machined back to original specifications, leak tests were performed, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment approved restarting the unit, Huenefeld said.

“During the Aug. 6 operation, a compression divot was created,” said Huenefeld. “In order to repair the divot, the entire seal surface had to be machined out and built back up with two layers of welding.”

The PCAPP EDS has safely eliminated 351 items to date, with 209 munitions remaining in its first campaign.

More PCAPP Technology Articles

  • Agent-filled 4.2-inch mortar rounds are monitored during Static Detonation Chamber agent trial testing operations at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.

    Static Detonation Chamber Trial Testing Concludes

    Published: May 13, 2022
  • After a chemical weapon is drained of agent and rinsed with high-pressure hot water, Agent Washwater Separator tanks collect fluid before sending it to Agent Neutralization Reactors to destroy the mustard agent. The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant has two tanks, providing the plant with redundancy when neutralizing agent.

    Backup Systems Allow for Safe Repairs

    Published: March 28, 2022
  • All chemical weapons from the Colorado stockpile are sorted into four color-coded lots to reduce delays in destruction due to problematic munitions.

    Color Coding Boosts Chemical Weapon Destruction

    Published: March 23, 2022
  • A Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant ordnance technician holds the first 4.2-inch mortar round to be processed in the Static Detonation Chamber complex.

    First Agent Destroyed in Static Detonation Chamber

    Published: February 22, 2022
  • Static Detonation Chamber ordnance technicians Rachelle S. and Mike W. remove a 57mm conventional ammunition round from its fiber tube during SDC non-agent Trial Burn Testing.

    Conventional Explosives Demonstrate Static Detonation Chamber Capability

    Published: February 15, 2022
  • Munitions transporters unload inert 4.2-inch mortar rounds from the back of a Modified Ammunition Vehicle during Integrated Operations Demonstrations. (Portions of this photograph have been blurred in accordance with Department of Defense guidelines)

    Pueblo Static Detonation Chamber Team Demonstrates Operations

    Published: February 2, 2022
  • Ethylene glycol and monochlorobenzene are being used as mustard agent surrogates during testing of the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant’s Static Detonation Chamber units.

    Mustard Agent Alternatives Used in Testing

    Published: January 12, 2022
  • Control room footage shows Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant workers preparing a cardboard box containing an empty, inert projectile for trial burn testing in a PCAPP Static Detonation Chamber unit.

    Detailed Timeline Guiding Pueblo Static Detonation Chamber Testing

    Published: December 2, 2021
  • Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant ordnance technicians place an empty, inert projectile into a cardboard box to begin trial burn testing at the PCAPP Static Detonation Chamber.

    Pueblo Static Detonation Chamber Trial Burn Testing Begins

    Published: November 2, 2021
  • Three Static Detonation Chamber units at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant will augment the main plant by destroying 4.2-inch mortar rounds containing mustard agent. Phase one testing of the units slated to begin in late 2021.

    First Phase of Pueblo Detonation Testing to Begin

    Published: October 8, 2021
PCAPP EDS

Related Pages and Facts

  • Explosive Destruction System

    November 15, 2016

Related News

  • Rejected Munitions Take Different Route to Destruction

    Rejected Munitions Take Different Route to Destruction

    October 3, 2016
  • Special Containers Protect Some Projectiles

    Special Containers Protect Some Projectiles

    August 10, 2016
  • First Explosive Destruction System Campaign Successfully Completed

    First Explosive Destruction System Campaign Successfully Completed

    February 19, 2016
  • Site Project Manager Recounts Year of Accomplishments

    Site Project Manager Recounts Year of Accomplishments

    January 8, 2016
  • Repairs Complete for Explosive Destruction System in Pueblo

    Repairs Complete for Explosive Destruction System in Pueblo

    September 28, 2015

Related Videos

  • Colorado System Completes First Step in Munition Elimination

    Colorado System Completes First Step in Munition Elimination

    March 8, 2016
  • U.S. Army Destroys Reject Chemical Weapons Safely, Efficiently

    U.S. Army Destroys Reject Chemical Weapons Safely, Efficiently

    October 22, 2015
  • ACWA Snapshot: PCAPP Explosive Destruction System: The First Step in Eliminating Munitions

    ACWA Snapshot: PCAPP Explosive Destruction System: The First Step in Eliminating Munitions

    October 9, 2015
  • PCAPP Explosive Destruction System: The First Step in Eliminating Munitions

    PCAPP Explosive Destruction System: The First Step in Eliminating Munitions

    October 7, 2015
  • Honoring Our Commitment: The Start of Chemical Stockpile Destruction in Colorado

    Honoring Our Commitment: The Start of Chemical Stockpile Destruction in Colorado

    February 12, 2015

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Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)