• The last chemical weapon stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot was destroyed in the main plant July 7, 2023. This milestone also means the destruction of the nation’s declared chemical weapons stockpile is complete. The main plant used neutralization to destroy the nerve agent munitions.
• Overall, more than 101,000 projectiles and rockets containing 523.4 tons of chemical agent, including VX and GB nerve agent and mustard agent, were destroyed.
• The main plant is in the closure phase, which is expected to take approximately three years. During closure, caustic water solution created during the decontamination of equipment, which is considered secondary waste, is being shipped off site for final destruction. Also, the last of the non-agent-contaminated rocket motors, which also are considered secondary waste, have been shipped off site for final destruction. Plant closure also involves the decontamination and decommissioning of facilities and equipment, disposition of property, demolition of facilities not required for future U.S. Army use, and closure of government contracts and environmental permits in accordance with laws and regulations.
• The safety of the workforce, community and environment continues to be the plant’s highest priority during the closure phase.

• This Month:
  • Completed ventilated monitoring tests in rooms on the west side of the Munitions Demilitarization Building.
  • Completed decommissioning of Explosive Containment Vestibule 1.
  • Completed removal of agent-collection tanks in the Agent Neutralization System Room and began removing tanks in other areas.
  • Prepared for unventilated monitoring tests.
  • Continued using remote-controlled robots to remove floor coatings, a thin layer of concrete under the coatings and steel-reinforced concrete pedestals.
  • Continued decommissioning Explosive Containment Rooms and other areas.
  • Continued shipping Enhanced On-site Containers off site for recycling.
  • Continued decontaminating pieces of metal equipment and tanks in the Metal Parts Treater.
  • Continued waste management activities.

• The Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) is using the SDC 2000 unit to destroy containerized rocket warheads containing GB nerve agent residue, which are considered secondary waste.

• This Month:
  • As of May 27, 40.9% of more than 51,000 containerized rocket warheads containing residual amounts of GB nerve agent has been destroyed.
  • Removed sediment and debris buildup from floor of detonation chamber.
  • Continued planned maintenance on sensors, off-gas treatment system, detonation chamber, quench tower and other systems.

• The Blue Grass SDC 1200 is destroying containerized rocket warheads containing VX nerve agent residue, which are considered secondary waste.

• This Month:
  • As of May 27, 29.9% of more than 17,000 containerized rocket warheads containing residual amounts of VX nerve agent has been destroyed.
  • Completed repair of destruction chamber alignment.
  • Performed preventative maintenance on the quench tower filtration, thermal oxidizer, off-gas treatment and other systems.

The next Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission and Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board meeting will be held on Sept. 4, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. ET at the following location:

Carl D. Perkins Building, Rooms A and B
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, Kentucky

A live video stream of the meeting will be available on the Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA) YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/usaeacwa and the PEO ACWA Facebook page at www.facebook.com/peoacwa. For information, contact the Blue Grass Chemical Stockpile Outreach Office at (859) 626-8944 or bgoutreach@iem.com.