The Blue Grass Army Depot commander signed an official document July 1 verifying no significant impact to the environment is anticipated from an action proposed to augment the Blue Grass plant’s processing capability.

“By signing the Finding of No Significant Impact, or FONSI, Col. Kurz has accepted the conclusion of an environmental assessment regarding the augmentation of the Blue Grass chemical weapons destruction process,” said Joe Elliott, chemical demilitarization project coordinator, Blue Grass Army Depot. “The public comment period for the assessment ended June 17, with no comments that required changes to the assessment or FONSI.”

Now that the environmental assessment and FONSI are complete, the next step is to develop and submit an environmental permit application to the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection, known as KDEP, said Wade Hollinger, director of compliance, Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.

“The finalization of the FONSI enables us to proceed with permitting actions,” Hollinger said. “We are working closely with KDEP to ensure the workforce, community and environment will be protected through the whole augmentation process.”

Once certain permitting actions are complete, some earthwork and grading activities will begin, Hollinger said. Procurement is in process for the proposed Static Detonation Chamber 2000 to be added to the Blue Grass plant.