PCAPP Monthly Recap – September 2020 | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)

PCAPP Monthly Recap – September 2020

Published: October 5, 2020 | Category: Monthly Recap, PCAPP News

Highlights

On Sept. 2, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a final permit to the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. 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.
On Sept. 5, The PCAPP team completed the destruction of nearly 300,000 155mm projectiles stored at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot, marking the end of the main plant’s first munitions campaign. Agent destruction activities began in September 2016 and are scheduled to be completed by 2023. More than 780,000 munitions were in the original Colorado stockpile.
Leading up to the conclusion of the 155mm munitions campaign, PCAPP set processing records for the third consecutive month. In August, the plant processed a record 19,033 155mm munitions, topping the previous mark of 15,440 set in July, which at the time topped the then-record number of 14,122 155mm munitions set in June.
With the conclusion of the 155mm campaign, the plant is now undergoing a changeover to destroy the Colorado stockpile of 105mm projectiles. It is expected that 105mm projectile destruction activities will begin by the end of 2020.
Problematic 155mm munitions will be destroyed in PCAPP’s three Static Detonation Chamber units, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2021.
Approximately 30 simulated 105mm projectiles were tested in the plant’s Explosion Containment Rooms beginning Sept. 21. It is one of the first steps of the plant’s changeover to destroy the 105mm projectile stockpile.

Upcoming Meetings

Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission, Permitting Working Group and Biotreatment Utilization Group Meeting
Oct. 28, 2020, at 2 p.m. MDT
Google Meet

New to PCAPP?

PCAPP is a state-of-the-art facility built to destroy the chemical weapons stockpile stored at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot, Colorado. The main plant uses neutralization followed by biotreatment to destroy the mustard agent stockpile. The safety of the workforce and neighboring communities is the project’s most important priority.