Government officials, project personnel and citizens gathered in Richmond, Kentucky, to recognize the elimination of all VX nerve agent weapons in the U.S. stockpile June 8.
“This is an exciting time for me and the department as we continue to make impressive progress toward safely completing destruction of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile,” said Kingston Reif, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Threat Reduction and Arms Control.
“The progress the plant is making has profound implications for international peace and security,” Reif said. “Please accept my thanks to those of you who have given yourself to embrace this mission to share your knowledge and experience and demonstrated a generosity of spirit and attitude.”
On April 19, the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant team completed destruction of M55 rockets containing VX nerve agent, which follows the complete destruction of projectiles containing VX in 2021. This accomplishment was recognized through an event held at Eastern Kentucky University in conjunction with the quarterly public Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission and Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board meeting.
“We celebrate in particular, the destruction of the last of the VX nerve agent weapons in the entire U.S. chemical weapons stockpile, that has happened right here in little ole Richmond in Madison County, and we are proud to have this distinction,” said Robert Blythe, mayor, City of Richmond. “I know that there are intentional ramifications of what is taking place here at Blue Grass, international ramifications, and I am certainly pleased that we are moving forward in satisfying those things that can make our world a safer place for all.”
Rocket warheads previously drained of their VX nerve agent in the main plant will be processed through one of the plant’s Static Detonation Chamber units as secondary waste. The rocket motors were sent for destruction in the Anniston, Alabama, Static Detonation Chamber, also as secondary waste. The plant is in a changeover period before the start of destruction of the final nerve agent weapons in the U.S. stockpile, GB M55 rockets, scheduled for July.
