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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 Successfully Treating Hydrolysate

Published: May 24, 2017 | Category: PCAPP News, Technology
Pictured are Immobilized Cell Bioreactors (ICB) at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. The ICBs are successfully treating mustard agent hydrolysate.

Pictured are Immobilized Cell Bioreactors (ICB) at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. The ICBs are successfully treating mustard agent hydrolysate.

The biotreatment process continues to be successful in treating hydrolysate, the product of the mustard agent neutralization process, at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP).

“We’re treating real hydrolysate and have proven that we can process thiodiglycol and salt water just like the plant was designed,” said Paul Usinowicz, technical advisor, PCAPP.

Biotreatment Area (BTA) systems, including 30-day Hydrolysate Storage Tanks, Immobilized Cell Bioreactors and Brine Concentrator Feed Tanks are working together and processing hydrolysate at a 25 percent concentration of thiodiglycol, the main ingredient in mustard agent hydrolysate, Usinowicz said.

“Now that the BTA is in operations, we are beginning to ramp the plant up to 100 percent feed rates to prepare for Integrated Facility Demonstrations [when the plant will run at full capacity and additional data collected as part of Pilot Testing],” said Kim Jackson, plant manager, PCAPP. “We are currently processing 2,100 rounds per week and will gradually move to 4,032 rounds.”

The increase in munition processing will also mean an increase in the amount of hydrolysate being fed into the BTA.

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
PCAPP Neutralization

Related News

  • Bioreactors Seeded with Biomass

    Bioreactors Seeded with Biomass

    October 22, 2018
  • Off-Site Shipment of Wastewater Complete

    Off-Site Shipment of Wastewater Complete

    September 14, 2017
  • First Off-Site Shipment of Wastewater Successful

    First Off-Site Shipment of Wastewater Successful

    August 11, 2017
  • Temporary Off-Site Shipment of Wastewater Begins

    Temporary Off-Site Shipment of Wastewater Begins

    August 1, 2017
  • Colorado Plant Achieves Munition Processing Milestone

    Colorado Plant Achieves Munition Processing Milestone

    June 22, 2017
  • Salt Cake Shipment Signifies Complete Plant Cycle

    Salt Cake Shipment Signifies Complete Plant Cycle

    June 21, 2017

Related Videos

  • Temporary Off-site Shipment of Hydrolysate from Colorado Plant

    Temporary Off-site Shipment of Hydrolysate from Colorado Plant

    June 29, 2017
  • PCAPP is Committed to Secondary Process

    PCAPP is Committed to Secondary Process

    January 23, 2017
  • Surrogate Testing Proves Successful at the Pueblo Plant

    Surrogate Testing Proves Successful at the Pueblo Plant

    September 23, 2016
  • Fun Video Shows Science Behind Destruction of Chemical Weapons in Colorado

    Fun Video Shows Science Behind Destruction of Chemical Weapons in Colorado

    July 5, 2016
  • Five Steps of Chemical Weapons Destruction at PCAPP

    Five Steps of Chemical Weapons Destruction at PCAPP

    March 31, 2014

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