Community members joined government officials and project staff in Pueblo, Colorado July 27 to recognize completion of the 105mm projectile destruction campaign.
“On behalf of the entire Department of State, I want to thank you all for your dedication to meeting the September 2023 deadline for destruction of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile,” said Mallory Stewart, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance. “The complete destruction of the U.S. chemical weapons program will be historic and truly will make the world a safer place.”
On July 20, the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant team completed the 105mm projectile destruction campaign, the second of three campaigns to destroy the remaining U.S. chemical weapons stockpile stored at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot. The achievement was recognized at a public event held at the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference center.
“This project has been transformative in our community and it’s hard to believe that we’re nearing the completion, said Nick Gradisar, mayor, City of Pueblo. “I want to give my congratulations to all of the team involved in this effort.”
The 105mm projectile destruction campaign began in December 2020. Approximately 383,000 105mm projectiles were destroyed using neutralization followed by biotreatment. The last munition destruction campaign, consisting of 4.2-inch mortar rounds, is underway. The original stockpile stored in Pueblo consisted of approximately 780,000 chemical weapons. As of July 29, less than 92,000 chemical weapons remain in the Colorado stockpile.
