The first boxes of non-contaminated rocket motors were transported via truck from the Blue Grass Army Depot Nov. 1 and safely arrived Nov. 2 at the Anniston Army Depot in Alabama to be destroyed in a Static Detonation Chamber.

“The loading of the rocket motors went without incident, as did the transport of them via a seven-hour interstate journey to Alabama,” said Ashley King, waste manager, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass (BPBG). “They are considered bulk hazardous waste, as the rocket motors are monitored to be free of agent contamination.”

Environmental permit modifications were necessary for the destruction of the rocket motors at the Anniston facility and for additional storage on the Blue Grass Army Depot while the motors await transport, said Bill Buchanan, environmental permitting manager, BPBG. An updated secondary waste disposal certification was required since the items are being transported to Anniston for disposal.

“The Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection worked hand-in-hand with us on this process,” Buchanan said. “We also involved the local community, which had an opportunity to comment on how we planned to ultimately dispose of the rocket motors through public notifications and public comment periods.”

The rocket motors will be destroyed in Anniston in a Static Detonation Chamber as soon as final approval is received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.