Blue Grass plant workers completed the destruction of more than half of the drained, containerized GB nerve agent rocket warheads, categorized as secondary waste, on Aug. 5.

“This accomplishment demonstrates the determination of the workforce to stay focused and committed to safely completing the project,” said Shannon Pendergrass, site project manager, Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. “This is a critical step in the project’s closure process.”

“Our Blue Grass team continues to overcome challenges, using lessons learned and teamwork to diligently continue processing the containerized rocket warheads containing residual amounts of GB nerve agent,” said Joe Curcio, project manager, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass. “We’re halfway there, and we have full confidence the mission will be completed safely.”

The Blue Grass team has destroyed more than 25,500 of the GB rocket warheads, which were drained of their agent in the main plant during the operations phase. After they were drained, the warheads were containerized and safely stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot for processing in the Static Detonation Chamber, or SDC, 2000 during the plant’s closure phase. Considered agent-contaminated secondary waste, the containerized rocket warheads, or CRWs, contain residual amounts of nerve agent.

Besides the SDC 2000, the SDC 1200 is destroying more than 17,000 CRWs containing residual amounts of VX nerve agent. SDC activities are expected to continue until 2025.

The last of more than 51,000 M55 rockets filled with GB nerve agent was drained and destroyed in the main plant July 7, 2023, marking the completion of the destruction of the chemical weapons stockpile in Kentucky and the declared stockpiles around the world.