Kentucky’s environmental agency has tentatively approved two permit modifications involving the Blue Grass plant, opening a period for public comment Dec. 15.
“The two permit modifications have been public-noticed and will start a 45-day public comment period,” said Dale Burton, Blue Grass Army Depot Section, Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection, during a public meeting Dec. 13.
One modification incorporates changes to the Research, Development and Demonstration permit to reflect updates since 2005. It includes a modification to remove munitions washout and modifies processes to increase cyanide destruction, among other updates, said Ted Malone, environmental engineer, KDEP.
The agency will also issue a permit for a GB sampling operation, said Shaina Kahn, environmental engineer assistant, KDEP.
“The entire sample extraction operation—from transporting the first projectile to taking the last projectile back to storage—should take approximately six days.” Kahn said.
Copies of the permits can be viewed at the Blue Grass Chemical Stockpile Outreach Office at 1000 Commercial Drive in Richmond, Kentucky, and five other information repositories in Madison and Estill counties.
Comments may be submitted to KDEP for consideration until Feb. 5. Additionally, a public meeting will be held Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. in the Perkins Building at Eastern Kentucky University.
