A senior Department of Defense official visited the Blue Grass plant to learn more about the plant’s operations and capabilities Dec. 14.

“Incredible progress has been made with the completion of three destruction campaigns already,” said Kingston Reif, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Threat Reduction and Arms Control. “I am looking forward to seeing everything today.”

Reif was provided a briefing by project management that included safety, operations and future planning, then visited the main plant Control Room where he observed system equipment on plant monitors. Management personnel then provided him an overview of the Static Detonation Chamber (SDC) 1200 and a tour of the SDC 2000 facility.

“We (the Office of the Secretary of Defense) will ensure you have the resources you need to meet the treaty commitment of Sept. 30, 2023,” Reif said. “This program is important to us.”

Reif previously served as the Director for Disarmament and Threat Reduction Policy at the Arms Control Association, where his focus was on nuclear disarmament, deterrence, and arms control, preventing nuclear terrorism, missile defense, and the defense budget.

The official continued his chemical demilitarization plant tour with a visit to the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Dec. 15.