After almost 30 years of providing public information to stakeholders interested in chemical weapons destruction at the Blue Grass plant, the outreach office in Richmond will close in April as part of the ongoing closure process.
“The office may be closing, but the job of being a liaison between the community and the chemical weapons destruction program remains as vital as ever,” said Shannon Pendergrass, site project manager, Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. “The importance of keeping the public informed of our progress and engaged in our mission cannot be overstated. We will continue to provide ways for the public to stay involved and for us to share our closure story.”
Interested residents have been involved in the project since its inception. While demilitarization project information will remain available, the Blue Grass Chemical Stockpile Outreach Office, the project’s public face at 1000 Commercial Drive, Suite 2, in Richmond, will close its doors April 18. Outreach office staff will continue to be available via email at BGOutreach@iem.com through the plant’s closure phase.
“Even before the outreach office opened, its staff was an important part of Madison County and the surrounding communities,” said Craig Williams, chair, Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission or CAC. “While the office is closing, the staff’s public involvement and community outreach will continue to be a priority. This important mission could not have come this far without citizen participation, and it remains vital as we see it to the end.”
The first outreach office opened on Main Street in downtown Richmond in October 1996. It moved to Highland Park Drive in 2001 and then to the current Commercial Drive location in 2006.
Area residents can stay involved by attending virtual meetings of the CAC or the Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board or by visiting one of five BGCAPP information repositories: the Berea and Richmond branches of the Madison County Library, Hutchins Library at Berea College, Crabbe Library at Eastern Kentucky University, and the Estill County Public Library in Irvine. Individuals also can stay informed of the latest Blue Grass updates by following the PEO ACWA website, https://www.peoacwa.army.mil, and Facebook or X social media platforms.
