Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) personnel, led by the operations department, began developing a plan required by regulators before pilot testing can occur.

“The pilot-test demonstration will lead our staff through ramp-up and toward safe, integrated processing,” said Greg Thomasson, deputy plant manager, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass. “This plan will provide the framework for us to pilot test the plant knowledgeably, safely and effectively, and within regulatory guidelines.”

Known as the Pilot Test Demonstration Plan (PTDP), this documentation will outline how BGCAPP will establish and satisfy its many permit requirements, Thomasson said. It will detail operational activities, processing rates and quantities of wastes to be treated and stored during pilot testing.

It will also provide opportunities to increase plant process efficiency, said Jeff Krejsa, deputy site project manager, BGCAPP. As personnel work through the documentation and actions required by this plan, they will likely discover ways to fine-tune systems and processes to provide greater functionality. This information will be made part of the PTDP, to assist with efforts toward the vital pilot-testing phase.

“Once systemization is satisfactorily completed, pilot testing begins with the gradual introduction of actual agent-filled munitions into the system,” Krejsa said. “This plan will provide a methodical guide and a reference for project personnel as they prepare to move this complex facility toward full-scale operations.”