Pueblo Plant Workers Receive Final 155mm Projectiles for Destruction

Published: September 2, 2020 | Category: PCAPP News, Safety, Technology

Pallets of 155mm munitions containing mustard agent are loaded onto a Modified Ammunition Van for transport to a Munitions Service Magazine before processing at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. Nine MAVs transported the last remaining 155mm projectiles to the Pueblo plant on Aug. 27.
Munitions transporters from the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant celebrate the final delivery of 155mm projectiles Aug. 27. The projectiles were loaded onto Modified Ammunitions Vans and transported to a Munitions Service Magazine to await processing.

Pallets of 155mm projectiles containing mustard agent slated for destruction were delivered to the Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant for the last time on Aug. 27.

“This is a big day for us and a long time coming,” said Kim Jackson, plant manager, PCAPP. “I want to thank everyone for all of their hard work.”

The delivery of the last 155mm projectiles is one of the concluding steps of the campaign to destroy nearly 300,000 obsolete 155mm munitions in storage at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado.

“It’s a major accomplishment to finish the 155s,” said Robert Ralston, operations support manager, PCAPP. “To our employees, hats off to every single one of you. You did an excellent job.”

The last 25 pallets were loaded onto eight PCAPP Modified Ammunition Vans, followed by transport to a Munitions Service Magazine where they will await processing. The mustard agent will be neutralized with caustic and hot water before the resulting hydrolysate is broken down into salts, water and organics by microbes.