Facts: Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Partners

/ PCAPP Facts

The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP) safely completed destruction of the chemical munitions stored at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot (PCD), now known as the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity-West (CMA-West), June 22, 2023, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local environmental requirements. PCAPP is now in the closure phase, scheduled to conclude in 2028. The following is a summary of key program partners and their roles in reaching this shared goal.

Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)

PEO ACWA was established to demonstrate alternatives to the baseline incineration technology for the destruction of assembled chemical weapons. PEO ACWA was responsible for the destruction of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile stored at PCD and the Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond, Kentucky, and is headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

PCAPP Outreach Staff

PCAPP is the state-of-the-art, full-scale pilot facility that safely destroyed the chemical weapons stockpile previously stored at PCD.

The PCAPP outreach staff, operating under contract by IEM, Inc., informed stakeholders about the chemical weapons destruction project and now provides information on the closure of the PCAPP facility.

BPT is the joint-venture systems contractor selected by PEO ACWA to design, build, test, operate and close PCAPP.

PCD/CMA-West

Located east of Pueblo, Colorado, the depot was a 23,000-acre U.S. Army installation responsible for the safe and secure storage of a portion of the U.S. declared chemical weapons stockpile, mustard agent in projectiles and mortar rounds. Operational since 1942, PCD stored chemical agents since the early 1950s. Although PCD was deactivated Sept. 12, 2024, employees remain under the auspices of CMA-West to support PCAPP during its closure phase.

CMA

CMA managed the U.S. stockpile of chemical weapons, enabling the Army to focus solely on the national security mission. Headquartered at the Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, CMA continues to assess and destroy recovered chemical warfare materiel. Prior to the elimination of the

nation’s chemical weapons stockpile in 2023, the activity maintained safe and secure storage of the Army’s two remaining chemical stockpile sites at PCD and the Blue Grass Chemical Activity at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky. As of Sept. 12, 2024, CMA is responsible for the former PCD property and its employees.

  • Contact: Sarah Lobos, Public Affairs Officer, (410) 417-4926, sarah.w.lobos.civ@army.mil

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)

The CDPHE mission is to protect public health and the environment. The department is responsible for enforcing hazardous waste regulations in the state of Colorado and considers the U.S. Army’s permit applications for PCAPP. Representatives of the Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division actively participate in meetings regarding the closure of the PCAPP facility in Colorado.

Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission (CAC)

In accordance with Public Law 102-484, the CAC served as a bridge between the community and the government by providing a forum for exchanging information about chemical weapons disposal and now is focused on the closure of the PCAPP facility. The governor of Colorado appoints members of the CAC, including private citizens, who represent the local community. The CAC conducts public meetings to facilitate consistent public participation in the closure of the PCAPP facility.

PuebloPlex

Pursuant to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act and the Pueblo Depot Activity Development Authority Act, PuebloPlex was created to transition the closing military base to a community asset through redevelopment of the property, support of job creation, and enhancement of the tax base. As the Local Redevelopment Authority, PuebloPlex is securing from the U.S. Army excess and surplus land, buildings and equipment in the development of a new economic resource for Pueblo County.

Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)

BRAC is a process initiated by the U.S. government to enhance the efficiency of military operations by closing and realigning military installations. CMA-West will provide base operations, utilities, property management, information technology and fire rescue support to ongoing PCAPP operations until all conditions have been met for turnover to BRAC and eventually to PuebloPlex, the Local Redevelopment Authority.

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