International Inspectors Confirm Pueblo Plant Was Built as Designed

An ordnance technician demonstrates reconfiguration to inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The inspectors visited the Pueblo plant January 5-7 to perform their final engineering review (A portion of this photo was masked in accordance with policy).
An ordnance technician demonstrates reconfiguration to inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The inspectors visited the Pueblo plant January 5-7 to perform their final engineering review (A portion of this photo was masked in accordance with policy).

Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) visited the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP) in January to conduct a Final Engineering Review. The purpose of the review was to validate the plant was built to operate as designed.

“Engineers come and confirm we built the plant we said we were going to build,” said Marty Vigil, treaty compliance representative, PCAPP.

The OPCW sent engineers who reviewed PCAPP’s design drawings to verify the demilitarization equipment and piping for the agent collection and neutralization system.

“The inspectors substantiated the equipment and integrity of the demilitarization process and facility,” said Johnny Wallace, treaty compliance coordinator, PCAPP. “We demonstrated how the agent will be destroyed and how the piping does not allow agent to be diverted.”

Site records, including chemical weapons delivery documents and analytical records, were reviewed. “The documents say what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it,” said Evan Williams, treaty compliance coordinator, PCAPP.

Engineers conduct this review approximately 60 days before the start of destruction operations. The review also allowed the inspectors to see the verification equipment installed specifically for their use. From this, the team drafted a Verification Plan outlining agreed upon methods to verify the destruction of chemical weapons in an irreversible manner, Wallace said.

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