Project Manager Looks to 2016 as the Year for Agent Disposal

Workers examine a Spent Decon Holding Tank in the Agent Processing Building. Pueblo plant employees are in the process of turning over 63 systems and facilities in preparation for operations.
Workers examine a Spent Decon Holding Tank in the Agent Processing Building. Pueblo plant employees are in the process of turning over 63 systems and facilities in preparation for operations.

Workers examine a Spent Decon Holding Tank in the Agent Processing Building. Pueblo plant employees are in the process of turning over 63 systems and facilities in preparation for operations. Workers examine a Spent Decon Holding Tank in the Agent Processing Building. Pueblo plant employees are in the process of turning over 63 systems and facilities in preparation for operations.

More than 1,300 Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP) employees are preparing themselves and the facility for the initiation of plant operations.

“2016 marks an important year for our project, because sometime this year, we will start the pilot test and agent disposal,” said Rick Holmes, Bechtel Pueblo Team project manager. “A lot of work needs to be done to make this a reality.”

With systemization nearly complete, PCAPP will move into operations once the workforce and equipment demonstrate readiness in four general areas, said Kim Jackson, plant manager. First, workers need to complete certifications and gain proficiency with plant systems. Second, the plant must demonstrate it can withstand a variety of challenges up to and including total loss of power, using backup generators. Third, the team will ensure plant systems operate at peak performance. Finally, plant operators must complete exercises, graded by internal reviewers and regulatory agencies, to verify readiness, Jackson said.

Making sure all 57 major systems and six separate facilities work together and function properly and safely is the first step toward operations. Procedure development, staff training and emergency response is the second, Holmes said.

This year will also conclude the first campaign of munitions destroyed by the Explosive Destruction System (EDS). The system is used to process munitions deemed unsuitable for processing by the main plant.

“Now, as the sun begins to set on the first campaign for EDS, focus will turn to PCAPP’s primary facility,” said Greg Mohrman, Army site project manager, PCAPP.

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