The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant was issued its final Hazardous Waste Permit by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Sept. 2.

“Issuance of the Part B permit represents the culmination of several years’ worth of hard work by project and CDPHE personnel,” said Mike Saupe, environmental manager, PCAPP.

According to the permit, the Final State Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA, Part B Hazardous Waste Operating Permit governs the framework for the treatment of the remaining U.S. chemical weapons stockpile stored in Colorado.

CDPHE issued a draft Part B Hazardous Waste Permit on July 17, the contents of which were based on the plant’s pilot testing phase that began in 2016 and its December 2019 Multiple Pathway Health Risk Assessment. The permit decision from the CDPHE stated that it did not receive any comments on the draft permit during a 45-day public comment period.

The approval of the Part B Hazardous Waste Permit means PCAPP successfully demonstrated its full operational chemical demilitarization capabilities and marks the end of the plant’s pilot testing phase.

“Everyone’s efforts associated with the completion of pilot testing, the Multiple Pathway Health Risk Assessment and over 165 permit modification requests approved since the start of plant operations in 2016 set the stage for the approval of the Part B permit,” Saupe added.

The Part B Hazardous Waste Operating Permit leads directly to the next phase of PCAPP operations, which is the destruction of the Colorado stockpile of 105mm projectiles.

“The plant is pleased to receive approval of the Part B permit,” said Kim Jackson, plant manager, PCAPP. “This paved the way for the full completion of the 155mm campaign through the main plant and avoid additional schedule delays to complete the operations campaign.”