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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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Rocket Motors Extensively Studied Before Shipment

Published: July 29, 2021 | Category: BGCAPP News, Technology
A robot moves a non-contaminated rocket motor separated from its warhead to place it into a shipping crate in the Motor Packing Room at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. The motors, in their shipping and firing tubes, will be packaged and transported to Anniston, Alabama, for disposal in a Static Detonation Chamber unit.

The rocket motors that will be shipped to Anniston, Alabama, for destruction were thoroughly studied before the decision was made to ship them from the Blue Grass site.

“We were concerned about the effects of possible degradation over time, as well as sensitivity to specific radio frequencies or electrostatic discharge,” said Dr. John Barton, chief scientist, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass. “Multiple studies were completed to support safe transport and off-site destruction operations.”

The studies included a recent Transportation Risk Assessment, or TRA, and an in-depth series of assessments by Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey that took more than a year to complete.

The real question about potential hazard of transporting the rocket motors was related to the age of the rockets, Barton said, as they are approximately 60 years old. Based on the results of compositional and sensitivity testing, the rocket motor assemblies continue to be safe to handle, store, and transport. The TRA concluded the probability of risk was “Seldom or Remote” and “Unlikely or Improbable” for the two categories that warranted risk calculation.

“Our main focus, as always, is the safety of the workforce, the community and the environment,” said Karl Slaughenhaupt, principal deputy, Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. “A lot of time and effort have been put into studies and research to evaluate the safety and stability of these motors for handling and transportation.”

The motors will be packaged and transported to the Anniston facility during the VX and GB M55 rocket destruction campaigns. The date for the start of shipments has not yet been determined.

More BGCAPP News Articles

  • Workers install portions of the automated loading system for the Blue Grass Static Detonation Chamber (SDC) 2000 in the SDC 2000 Enclosure Building April 4. This equipment will take the place of human munitions handlers in loading containerized or overpacked munitions and components into the chamber for destruction.

    State Regulator Approves Two Blue Grass Permit Modifications

    Published: May 23, 2022
  • Workers remove used carbon filters from the Blue Grass Explosive Destruction Technology air filtration system for disposal as hazardous waste.

    Teamwork Key to Removing Used Carbon Filters

    Published: April 19, 2022
  • Workers pass a piece of plywood up the Static Detonation Chamber 1200 stairs in preparation for opening the roof to allow a new piece of equipment to be lowered into the building. The building passed decontamination verification testing in January, which means workers do not have to wear chemical protective gear as they prepare for the system’s next activity.

    Former Mustard Destruction Facility Passes Crucial Test

    Published: March 1, 2022
  • Workers drill holes for structural steel placement on the Static Detonation Chamber 1200 Off-gas Treatment System Building foundation at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. A public comment period is open through March 16 for a permit modification request for this system.

    Comment Period Open for Public Input on Draft Environmental Permit

    Published: February 23, 2022
  • A worker guides a crane after its placement of the thermal oxidizer for the Static Detonation Chamber (SDC) 1200 unit at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. The SDC 1200 requires a completely new off-gas treatment system in order to process drained, containerized VX nerve-agent warheads.

    New Pollution Abatement System Under Construction

    Published: August 30, 2021
  • A forklift operator is guided by spotters as he loads a crate of non-contaminated rocket motors onto a truck at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant July 20. The Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection has opened a public comment period for plant modification requests that include additional storage space for the motors.

    Public Comment Period Open for Hydrolysate Shipment, Rocket Motor Storage

    Published: July 29, 2021
  • A truck and tank trailer sit in the tanker loading station at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.

    Project Managers to Discuss Hydrolysate Shipment at June 9 Public Meeting

    Published: June 3, 2021
  • A deer browses in an experimental plot of American chestnut trees on the Blue Grass Army Depot near the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. The depot is a partner in a conservation project to propagate blight-resistant versions of the American chestnut tree.

    Blue Grass Partner Assists with Conservation Effort

    Published: April 30, 2021
  • Technicians program a Rocket Warhead Containerization System robot inside the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant in February. This equipment is the subject of one of four Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection permit modification requests currently in a public comment period.

    Public Involvement Opportunities for Permit Modification Requests

    Published: April 5, 2021
  • Comment Period Open for Plant Permit Modification Requests

    Comment Period Open for Plant Permit Modification Requests

    Published: January 28, 2021
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Related News

  • Kentucky Event Highlights End of VX Weapons in U.S.

    Kentucky Event Highlights End of VX Weapons in U.S.

    June 21, 2022
  • Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Monthly Recap – May 2022

    Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Monthly Recap – May 2022

    May 31, 2022
  • Changeover Period Begins at Blue Grass Plant

    Changeover Period Begins at Blue Grass Plant

    May 31, 2022
  • Special Event for Chemical Weapons Destruction Followed by Public Meeting June 8

    Special Event for Chemical Weapons Destruction Followed by Public Meeting June 8

    May 31, 2022
  • State Regulator Approves Two Blue Grass Permit Modifications

    State Regulator Approves Two Blue Grass Permit Modifications

    May 23, 2022

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