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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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First Explosive Destruction System Campaign Successfully Completed

Published: February 19, 2016 | Category: PCAPP News, Technology
A worker holds a placard describing the solid waste remaining from the final shot of the first campaign, completed by the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Explosive Destruction System Feb. 11.

A worker holds a placard describing the solid waste remaining from the final shot of the first campaign, completed by the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Explosive Destruction System Feb. 11.

The first campaign of the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP) Explosive Destruction System (EDS) came to a successful conclusion Feb. 11 when four 105mm projectiles were verified destroyed.

“Our last shot was verified complete when the vessel door was opened to examine the remaining fragments of the final four remaining 105mm projectiles,” said Greg Mohrman, site project manager, PCAPP.

“Completion of this campaign allows the United States to report more than 1.91 U.S. tons of agent destroyed to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW),” Mohrman said. The OPCW is the international organization in charge of enforcing the Chemical Weapons Convention, a multilateral arms control treaty which prohibits the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons.

The system began disposing of munitions deemed unsuitable for processing in the main plant nearly one year ago in March 2015. PCAPP EDS successfully eliminated 560 items, including 196 155mm projectiles, 265 105 projectiles, 88 4.2-inch mortar rounds and 11 Department of Transportation bottles, said Steve Bird, project lead, Recovered Chemical Materiel Directorate, U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity, which owns the EDS.

“The first campaign was performed safely by the workforce, while protecting the environment and was completed on schedule,” Bird said.

This campaign was completed by a multi-agency team which included the Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives, the Joint Program Executive Office, Chemical and Biological Defense, the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity and the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center.

Staff is now decontaminating the system, cleaning up the site and preparing for temporary closure. The site will reopen to destroy rejects and contaminated energetics from the main plant’s first destruction campaign, which will consist of 155mm projectiles. The site will temporarily close and then reopen for subsequent campaigns of 105mm projectiles and 4.2-inch mortars, Bird said.

PCAPP EDS is estimated to eliminate up to 1,300 items before completing its mission in 2019, Mohrman 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 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
  • Site Project Manager Recounts Year of Accomplishments

    Site Project Manager Recounts Year of Accomplishments

    January 8, 2016
  • System Restarts Chemical Agent Destruction Operations in Colorado

    System Restarts Chemical Agent Destruction Operations in Colorado

    October 6, 2015
  • 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)