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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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Pueblo Plant Uses Present-Day Technologies to Clean up the Past

Published: February 17, 2016 | Category: PCAPP News, Technology
The Munitions Washout System (MWS) robot stands in front of a row of Cavity Access Machines at the Pueblo plant’s training facility. Control room operators and maintenance personnel train with the MWS at this location before working with a similar system at the plant.

The Munitions Washout System (MWS) robot stands in front of a row of Cavity Access Machines at the Pueblo plant’s training facility. Control room operators and maintenance personnel train with the MWS at this location before working with a similar system at the plant.

The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP) will use both new and borrowed technologies to drain and washout obsolete munitions stored at the U.S. Army Chemical Depot since the 1950s.

PCAPP’s Munitions Washout System (MWS) will use Cavity Access Machines (CAM) to collapse the burster well and drain the mustard agent from projectiles. Drained agent and rinse water will be collected and piped into the neutralization systemization for processing, said Art Shinn, training specialist, PCAPP.

“The purpose of the CAMs is to drain and wash agent from munitions in order to take the agent to the Collection and Neutralization System for neutralization,” said Shinn.

A robotic arm will pick up energetic-free munitions from a conveyor and place them into the CAM. This technology was borrowed from the automotive industry and modified for use at PCAPP, Shinn said.

“The robot is highly accurate, up to .012 of an inch,” said Shinn. “It has good repeatability.”

A new technology, CAMs were developed by Parsons Corporation for specific use at PCAPP. The CAM will access the area of projectiles that hold mustard agent using a hydraulic ram to collapse the burster well. The collapsed burster will create an opening for the agent to drain from the munition and then high pressure hot water is sprayed into each munition to clean out any residual agent, Shinn said.

“The MWS will open the agent cavity, drain and wash the agent out of the munition and deliver it to the Munition Treatment Unit for thermal decontamination,” said Kent Ladd, training specialist, PCAPP.

Because there are two types of projectiles at PCAPP, as well as mortar rounds, different sized CAMs will be used for each type of munition to be processed. The process for the 4.2-inch mortar rounds will be slightly different. Instead of collapsing the burster well, the base will be cut from the munition body, Shinn said.

“The MWS is in a ventilation and engineering controlled environment for the protection of the workforce, facility and public,” Ladd said.

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 Equipment

Related PCAPP News

  • Antistatic Gear Improves Safety

    Antistatic Gear Improves Safety

    September 20, 2018
  • Washout System Tested for Optimal Performance

    Washout System Tested for Optimal Performance

    July 28, 2017
  • Heel Test Anticipates Plant Washout System Failures

    Heel Test Anticipates Plant Washout System Failures

    February 28, 2017
  • Solution Devised for Over-Pressurized Rounds

    Solution Devised for Over-Pressurized Rounds

    February 17, 2017
  • Heating Technique to Eliminate Residual Chemical Agent

    Heating Technique to Eliminate Residual Chemical Agent

    April 5, 2016

Related Videos

  • Pueblo Plant Control Room Prepares for Operations

    Pueblo Plant Control Room Prepares for Operations

    January 13, 2016
  • Overpacked Pallets Carry the Load

    Overpacked Pallets Carry the Load

    March 15, 2015
  • Modified Ammunition Vehicles Ensure Safe Transportation of Chemical Weapons

    Modified Ammunition Vehicles Ensure Safe Transportation of Chemical Weapons

    September 9, 2014
  • PCAPP Projectile/Mortar Disassembly Systems

    PCAPP Projectile/Mortar Disassembly Systems

    April 18, 2014
  • Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Self-Operating Vehicles

    Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Self-Operating Vehicles

    September 30, 2013

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