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

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      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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First Agent Destroyed in Static Detonation Chamber

Published: February 22, 2022 | Category: PCAPP News, Program Milestones, Technology
  • 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.

    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.

  • Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant ordnance technicians monitor the Miniature Continuous Air Monitoring System to check 4.2-inch mortar rounds for vapor leaks prior to Static Detonation Chamber processing.

    Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant ordnance technicians monitor the Miniature Continuous Air Monitoring System to check 4.2-inch mortar rounds for vapor leaks prior to Static Detonation Chamber processing.

Operators destroyed the first 4.2-inch mortar rounds containing mustard agent using the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Static Detonation Chamber complex on Feb. 19.

“For the first time, we can now demonstrate how the system handles mustard agent,” said David Duff, chief engineer, PCAPP. “Until now, we’ve only conducted trials using surrogate materials to prove the system can operate as designed.”

Munitions destroyed in an SDC unit are detonated or deflagrated inside an electrically heated containment vessel that reaches 1,150 degrees Fahrenheit. Emissions generated are neutralized in an off-gas treatment system, which filters and cools gases to remove contaminants.

Initial SDC agent-destruction operations are limited in scope. Only one of the three units may process mortar rounds at a time during the Phase 2 Trial Burn period. Munitions are slowly being introduced into the system under close monitoring. With successful results, the rate of throughput will increase up to the permitted limit.

“Over the next two or three months, 4.2-inch mortar rounds will be processed in a very controlled feed,” Duff said. “We are monitoring the process, in particular how the off-gas treatment system is functioning with mustard being destroyed in the detonation chamber and thermal oxidizer. Data from emissions testing will be compiled and analyzed to ensure the SDC units are working as designed, processing the mustard and associated waste emissions in a controlled and environmentally safe manner consistent with the requirements set by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment.”

Agent destruction using the SDC complex officially marks the beginning of the third and final destruction campaign at PCAPP. The units will not only process 4.2-inch mortars but also problematic 105mm and overpacked projectiles/mortars deemed unsuitable for automated processing in the main plant due to their age or condition.

“The start of this campaign brings us closer to our commitment to the local and international communities to safely eliminate all chemical weapons in the U.S. inventory,” said Walton Levi, site project manager, PCAPP.

Related Posts

  • A pallet of previously rejected 155mm projectiles awaits destruction. Approximately 200 of the 155mm projectiles were rejected by the plant’s automated robotic destruction systems. The rejected munitions have been re-introduced into the system, now upgraded with the devices.

    Safe Destruction of Previously Rejected Projectiles Moves Forward in Pueblo Plant

    Published: September 13, 2022
  • The Improved Cavity Access Machine was proposed to safely destroy 4.2-inch mortar rounds in the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant automated process. Based on existing Cavity Access Machine technology, the ICAM uses a vacuum-powered probe to remove agent.

    Improved Equipment Could Accelerate Destruction at Pueblo Plant

    Published: July 5, 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
  • A Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant maintenance technician dons and escape breathing apparatus during backup rescue training exercises in 2020.

    Pueblo Plant Safety Rates Exceed Industry Standard

    Published: August 17, 2021
  • Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Entry Support Area tender Ezra Maldonado is outfitted with the Demilitarization Protective Ensemble prior to completion of the 10,000th DPE entry at PCAPP.

    Pueblo Plant Workers Achieve Safety Milestone

    Published: May 12, 2021
  • A Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant personal protective equipment technician dons a Powered Air Purifying Respirator hood during a PAPR training session.

    Repurposed Safety Equipment Used for Training

    Published: May 4, 2021
Pueblo, Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant, SDC, Static Detonation Chamber

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