The Pueblo plant workforce has completed planned process equipment disposal under a state-approved request to bridge the schedule gap between conclusion of destruction operations in June 2023 and approval of the plant’s closure plan.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) approved a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Permit Modification Temporary Authorization Request to allow plant workers to conduct removal, disassembly, decontamination and containerization of specific equipment prior to entering the closure phase.
“I’m extremely proud of the progress our workforce has made with these early equipment removals as we await approval of the main plant closure plan by CDPHE,” said Walton Levi, site project manager, Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant, or PCAPP. “The authorization helped us retain personnel and complete activities related to closure while the plan was being reviewed.”
Under the authorization approved Jan. 3, 2024, plant workers dismantled, decontaminated, and placed into waste drums equipment that was uniquely designed to destroy the chemical weapons stockpile previously stored at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot.
This unique process equipment included equipment that disassembled projectiles and mortars, accessed and drained chemical agent from munition cavities, and some system pumps and piping, including Projectile/Mortar Disassembly systems within the three Explosive Containment Rooms located in the Enhanced Reconfiguration Building; Cavity Access Machines, Improved Cavity Access Machines, robots, and associated supporting pedestals and base plates for both Munitions Washout System lines within the Agent Processing Building; and removal of pumps/motors and piping used to operate the Spent Decontamination system.
In addition to the tasks included in the authorization, the workforce removed sludge from the three hydrolysate storage tanks used to feed the biotreatment equipment. Under this effort, approximately 165,000 gallons of hazardous waste were shipped for off-site disposal at a Colorado hazardous waste treatment facility.
“The TAR has enabled our team to remain engaged and motivated and to get a significant jump on reducing the PCAPP footprint,” Levi said. “As a result, it will be full steam ahead once we receive approval of the closure plan.”
