The highlight of 2023 for the Pueblo plant was the completion of destruction of the chemical weapons stockpile stored in Colorado.
“With the destruction of the final munition in Colorado June 22 followed by the completion of destruction operations at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant July 7 in Kentucky, the U.S. announced it was free of declared chemical weapons,” said Walton Levi, site project manager, Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant, or PCAPP. “That’s the goal we have all worked toward for so many years. It’s a huge and gratifying accomplishment.”
Because of his leadership in overseeing stockpile destruction, Levi was named the top state field office executive of the year by the Colorado Federal Executive Board in June.
In May, more than 2,000 individuals from local, state, and federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot and PCAPP, gathered in Pueblo for the final full-scale Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program exercise. This program is drawing to an end now that the nation’s stockpile has been destroyed as required by the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty.
Media representatives, including from The New York Times, toured the main plant in early June, interviewing project leaders and community members to bring national attention to the elimination of the final declared munition in Colorado.
Nearly 700 individuals attended a community celebration Aug. 30 to commemorate the elimination of the chemical weapons stockpile in Colorado. Dignitaries from across the state and nation attended the event.
Also in August, the plant’s commitment to safety was emphasized.
“The Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed our robust employee safety culture in August when they provided us their recommendation for recertification of the plant’s Star Status in their Voluntary Protection Program,” said Todd Ailes, plant manager, Pueblo Bechtel Team. “That culture will continue as we transition into the closure phase.”
By September, Chemical Weapons Convention treaty and surety obligations were completed at the Pueblo plant after verification activities confirmed all chemical weapons and their components had been destroyed.
Throughout the year, maintaining the skilled workforce and retaining them within the region has been a priority. The government and contractor companies established transition services to help the workforce identify and plan for future job opportunities after their scheduled release dates.
As 2023 comes to a close, the project workforce is focused on its final phase: closure, expected to take three to four years.
