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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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Backup Systems Allow for Safe Repairs

Published: March 28, 2022 | Category: PCAPP News, Safety, Technology
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.

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.

Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant chemical weapons destruction continued uninterrupted during a lengthy repair of the plant’s neutralization system components.

“The beauty of our plant is that we don’t have just one of anything,” said Brian Ramdwar, deputy plant manager, PCAPP. “We have redundancy, which allows us to continue operations at our normal rate while addressing any issues that may occur.”

In November 2021, a small leak was discovered during a routine inspection of piping from an Agent Washwater Separator tank, or AWS. An AWS tank is part of the Munitions Washout System, in which the chemical weapon is drained of agent and rinsed with high-pressure hot water. The tank collects this fluid before sending it to Agent Neutralization Reactors to destroy the mustard agent. Neutralization followed by biotreatment is used to destroy mustard agent drained from the chemical weapons.

“We have two AWS tanks,” Ramdwar explained, “and normally, we use only one of the tanks. Since we have this redundancy, the leaking tank was isolated and the other tank was available, which allowed us to efficiently continue operations while we conducted repairs.”

Having two tanks allowed for one to be repaired without impacting destruction rates, but it also allowed for preventative maintenance on the tank unaffected by the leak.

“We wanted to be good stewards and do the same repair on the other tank,” Ramdwar said. “Since one tank was compromised, it was possible that the other tank could also develop a leak. Redundancy in the system allowed us to do that.”

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

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