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Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)
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      Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)


      Mission: The safe elimination of chemical weapons at Pueblo and Blue Grass by Sept. 30, 2023

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      Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP)

      BGCAPP is safely destroying the chemical weapons stockpile currently in storage at the Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond, Kentucky.

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      Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP)

      PCAPP is safely destroying the chemical weapons stockpile currently in storage at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado.

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Pueblo Plant Achieves Significant Milestones in 2020

Published: December 22, 2020 | Category: PCAPP News
  • Pueblo Plant Achieves Significant Milestones in 2020

    Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant employees celebrate the final 155mm projectile being sent through the Munitions Washout System, signifying the end of the 155mm munitions destruction campaign, on Sept. 5, 2020.

  • Pueblo Plant Achieves Significant Milestones in 2020

    A Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant employee works with a face covering, part of the safety protocols instituted at the plant during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, workers at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant achieved milestones while weathering the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Despite implementing new safety protocols during the coronavirus pandemic, our workforce remained steadfast, as evidenced by the many milestones achieved in 2020,” said Ken Harrawood, project manager, Bechtel Pueblo Team.

Three major achievements stand out in 2020.

The first munitions destruction campaign at PCAPP completed Sept. 5 saw the elimination of nearly 300,000 155mm projectiles from the Colorado chemical weapons stockpile. With the conclusion of that campaign, approximately two-thirds of the original chemical agent stored at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot has been safely destroyed.

Ahead of the completion of the 155mm campaign, the PCAPP workforce achieved three consecutive months of processing records, destroying nearly 50,000 projectiles from June through August.

“The processing records were a testament to our workforce’s dedication to complete the 155mm destruction campaign,” said Walton Levi, site project manager, PCAPP.

On Dec. 11, the second campaign at PCAPP, the safe destruction of more than 350,000 105mm projectiles, got underway. To prepare for this campaign, main plant technicians began retrofitting automated processing equipment to destroy the smaller 105mm munitions.

In July, workers finished assembling three Static Detonation Chamber units, which will augment the main plant by destroying problematic munitions which are unsuitable for processing using the main plant’s automated equipment. The SDC units will also destroy the 4.2-inch mortar and overpacked rounds, which is the third of three destruction campaigns. The SDC units are scheduled to come online in 2021.

Throughout the year, the plant implemented safety protocols designed to reduce risk to the workforce amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Following guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, standard safety measures such as protective face coverings, handwashing, health screenings and social distancing were implemented at the plant. Additionally, remote work policies for office staff were established.

The PCAPP facility uses a two-step destruction process, neutralization followed by biotreatment, as the primary technology to destroy the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile in Colorado. Since agent destruction operations began in 2015, the Pueblo team has safely destroyed more than 1,700 U.S. tons of chemical agent.

Related Posts

  • Agent-filled 4.2-inch mortar rounds are monitored during Static Detonation Chamber agent trial testing operations at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.

    Static Detonation Chamber Trial Testing Concludes

    Published: May 13, 2022
  • After a chemical weapon is drained of agent and rinsed with high-pressure hot water, Agent Washwater Separator tanks collect fluid before sending it to Agent Neutralization Reactors to destroy the mustard agent. The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant has two tanks, providing the plant with redundancy when neutralizing agent.

    Backup Systems Allow for Safe Repairs

    Published: March 28, 2022
  • All chemical weapons from the Colorado stockpile are sorted into four color-coded lots to reduce delays in destruction due to problematic munitions.

    Color Coding Boosts Chemical Weapon Destruction

    Published: March 23, 2022
  • A Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant ordnance technician holds the first 4.2-inch mortar round to be processed in the Static Detonation Chamber complex.

    First Agent Destroyed in Static Detonation Chamber

    Published: February 22, 2022
  • Static Detonation Chamber ordnance technicians Rachelle S. and Mike W. remove a 57mm conventional ammunition round from its fiber tube during SDC non-agent Trial Burn Testing.

    Conventional Explosives Demonstrate Static Detonation Chamber Capability

    Published: February 15, 2022
  • Munitions transporters unload inert 4.2-inch mortar rounds from the back of a Modified Ammunition Vehicle during Integrated Operations Demonstrations. (Portions of this photograph have been blurred in accordance with Department of Defense guidelines)

    Pueblo Static Detonation Chamber Team Demonstrates Operations

    Published: February 2, 2022
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Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)