As of March 21, the systemization team turned over 21 of 59 Blue Grass plant systems to operations.
“Turnover is important because it’s the point from where the operations team can really start training their personnel on the equipment and procedures to prepare for certification,” said Rusty Davis, operations manager, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass. “We need four fully staffed and certified crews to start operations.”
Turning over a system, such as the Rocket Handling System or the Agent Neutralization System, means operations and maintenance technicians will have “care, custody and control” of that system, Davis said. Prior to the turnover point, the systemization team is responsible for testing the systems for functionality and developing system procedures. The team then performs a full formal demonstration. When approved by project, program and oversight personnel, this signifies the end of that system’s equipment-testing phase. The system is then turned over to the team that will operate the plant and destroy Kentucky’s chemical weapons stockpile.
“Once a system is turned over, it will eventually enter a pilot-testing phase,” Davis said. “We will start testing the equipment with surrogate agent and munitions, which is as close as we can get to the real agent and munitions while still being safe for workers during training.”
This summer, the Metal Parts Treaters are scheduled to be turned over and surrogate testing can commence, Davis said.
