Blue Grass plant management will provide an update about hydrolysate shipment during an online public meeting June 9.

“We have a plan in place to keep communities in Kentucky and Texas informed of the shipment of Blue Grass hydrolysate for destruction,” said Dr. Candace Coyle, site project manager, Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. “This advisory group public meeting is just one way we are reaching out to these communities.”

Hydrolysate is a wastewater produced during the neutralization of chemical agents.  Plant managers intended to dispose of hydrolysate in the plant using a technology known as supercritical water oxidation, however, operational issues were encountered during system testing.

Following a program decision to request a permit from Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection to ship the hydrolysate to an off-site facility, the Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission (CAC) and Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board (CDCAB) issued a letter requesting that the communities be kept informed. CAC/CDCAB meetings are one of the primary venues for that information.

“We are committed to being straightforward and transparent through this whole process,” Coyle said. “We have planned extensively to complete this operation safely and efficiently.”

During the meeting, experts from the Blue Grass plant will share information about hydrolysate off-site shipment planning, release criteria, plant design and transportation risk assessments, as well as provide updates on other plant topics. Information about hydrolysate shipment may also be found on the PEO ACWA website.

The CAC/CDCAB meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, June 9. It will be conducted online through Microsoft Teams and will include a telephone option. For information on how to join the meeting, please contact the Blue Grass Chemical Stockpile Outreach Office at (859) 626-8944 or bgoutreach@iem.com.