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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: Destroy Chemical Weapons Stockpile

      Vision: Chemical Weapons Free by 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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Blue Grass Plant Completes Baseline Groundwater Sampling

Published: June 9, 2016 | Category: BGCAPP News, Environment
Technicians package a Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) site groundwater sample for testing. To protect a freshwater aquifer that flows beneath the site, BGCAPP completed groundwater baseline testing in April.

Technicians package a Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) site groundwater sample for testing. To protect a freshwater aquifer that flows beneath the site, BGCAPP completed groundwater baseline testing in April.

Workers completed the last of four quarterly sampling activities in April to determine a baseline to protect the freshwater aquifer that flows underneath the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP).

“We pumped a total of 112 liters of water from the groundwater wells,” said Steve Downing, lab manager, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass (BPBG). “To have accurate test results, the water needs to stay at a consistent temperature of 6 degrees Celsius and arrive at the testing facility within the specified timeframe.”

To achieve this, the samples were packed in 26 coolers with an estimated 700 pounds of ice, said Downing. This is an important step, as some contaminants may deteriorate over time or with change in temperature. The samples are then shipped overnight to one of several off-site laboratories for testing.

Specialists from Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, joined project laboratory employees as they drew samples of water from nine monitoring wells around the site.

“We analyze the water samples for a whole host of materials,” said Clara Galbis-Reig, principal research scientist, Battelle. “We test for levels of volatile organic compounds, alkalinity, herbicides, pesticides, hydrocarbons, explosives, chemical agents and other contaminants.”

The Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection requires the testing of groundwater from around the site to ensure no contamination will seep into the aquifer from plant operations.

“The BGCAPP facility was constructed in accordance with very specific land, water and air protection regulations,” said John McArthur, environmental manager, BPBG. “Our goal is to have zero negative environmental impact upon the area.”

More BGCAPP Environment Articles

  • Technicians program a Rocket Warhead Containerization System robot inside the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant in February. This equipment is the subject of one of four Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection permit modification requests currently in a public comment period.

    Public Involvement Opportunities for Permit Modification Requests

    Published: April 5, 2021
  • Comment Period Open for Plant Permit Modification Requests

    Comment Period Open for Plant Permit Modification Requests

    Published: January 28, 2021
  • First-Time Filter Change Activity

    First-Time Filter Change Activity

    Published: December 29, 2020
  • Comment Period Open for Plant Permit Modification

    Comment Period Open for Plant Permit Modification

    Published: October 13, 2020
  • Blue Grass plant munitions handlers unpack filters in anticipation of the Explosive Destruction Technology Service Magazine filter changeout at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant

    Workers Complete Filter Change

    Published: August 20, 2020
  • Site preparation continues at the Blue Grass Static Detonation Chamber (SDC) 2000 at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.

    Comment Period Open for Plant Permit Modifications

    Published: July 16, 2020
  • A waste operator practices moving waste drums on pallets at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Container Storage Facility. The plant’s hazardous waste is regulated by a standard hazardous waste permit through the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection.

    Permit Conversion Public Comment Period Open Through Dec. 11

    Published: December 5, 2019
  • A technician watches as a tray of test projectile bodies moves through the Metal Parts Treater (MPT) for a conveyor alignment check at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. The MPT Surrogate Test Plan was the subject of a recent Class 1 modification to the plant’s hazardous waste permit.

    Minor Permit Modifications Routine Business for Plant

    Published: August 20, 2019
  • Col. Joseph Kurz, commander, Blue Grass Army Depot, discusses Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant processes with Ron Hink, project manager, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass. The commander signed his acceptance of a Finding of No Significant Impact generated from a May 2019 environmental assessment for augmentation of plant processing capability July 1.

    Signature Signals Path Forward for Additional Equipment

    Published: July 25, 2019
  • Madison County, Kentucky, residents listen to a presentation about the environmental assessment for the proposed action for processing nerve agent-filled munitions at the Blue Grass Army Depot at a May 21 public meeting. The public comment period for this action ends June 17.

    Environmental Assessment Public Comment Period Open Through June 17

    Published: May 31, 2019
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Related News

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