Program Timeline

Video: Timeline of Key Milestones for the ACWA Program

Interested in learning more about the history of the ACWA Program? This video highlights key program milestones, from its establishment by Congress, through research and development of alternative technologies, toward the goal of safe and environmentally sound destruction of the remaining U.S. chemical weapons stockpiles.

2017

• Ms. Suzanne S. Milchling assumes ACWA leadership as Program Executive Officer.
• Blue Grass-Specific Equipment, such as the Energetics Batch Hydrolyzers and Rocket Shear Machines, began systemization activities.

2016

Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant ordnance technicians and project leadership pose for a picture just before the first munition was processed through the plant. The pilot testing phase of operations began on Sept. 7.

• In December 2016, the Static Detonation Chamber, the explosive destruction technology chosen to destroy Kentucky’s mustard agent stockpile, was laid up so project personnel could prioritize main plant systemization. This decision was made due to Fiscal Year 2017 budget limitations.
• On Sept. 7, 2016, the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant started the Pilot Testing phase, which is the gradual destruction of agent-filled munitions into the system.  This phase will continue until plant managers and the state health department is satisfied all systems are working properly and the plant and workforce is ready to bring the plant up to its designed operational capacity.
• On Feb. 11, 2016, the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Explosive Destructive System successfully completed its first campaign, eliminating 265 105mm projectiles, 196 155mm projectiles, 88 4.2-inch mortar rounds and 11 Department of Transportation bottles for a total of 560 munitions.

2015

• On Oct. 28, 2015, the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant officially declares construction completion of the main facility and moves into the systemization phase of the project.
• The Static Detonation Chamber, the explosive destruction technology chosen to destroy Kentucky’s mustard agent stockpile, arrives at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant in August 2015.
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  Chemical stockpile destruction in Colorado was initiated on March 18, 2015 by the Explosive Destruction System, located on the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot near the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.

  Chemical stockpile destruction in Colorado was initiated on March 18, 2015 by the Explosive Destruction System, located on the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot near the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. This event marked the first step towards eliminating the final 10 percent of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile.

• Bechtel Pueblo and Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass teams earned recertification of Star Status in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program.

2014

A Pueblo plant start-up specialist hands over the “key” to the Fuel Oil system to a plant operator as start-up and operations team members look on.

• Construction began on the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Explosive Destruction System (EDS) site, located at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot. The first of two EDS units arrived on site, aligning with the completion of specially-designed environmental enclosures that will house the EDS units for added protection.
• The PEO ACWA Anniston Field Office was established in June 2014 to ensure that the technical expertise and experience of the staff at the former Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, as well as the facility’s Static Detonation Chamber, is preserved and available to be leveraged during chemical weapons destruction in Colorado and Kentucky.
• The Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant received approval from the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection to begin initial construction activities of an Explosive Destruction Technology facility.
• Provisional Operations, a two-month period in which operations and maintenance staff practice training with simulated munitions and agent, began at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant. This extensive training is conducted on a large-scale to ensure employees are better prepared for plant operations.
• Systemization reached 67 percent completion at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant and 25 percent completion at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.

2013

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  Explosive Destruction System (EDS)

  Program Executive Officer Conrad F. Whyne announced his selection of the U.S. Army’s Explosive Destruction System (EDS) to augment the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant in order to safely destroy chemical munitions unsuited for processing by the main plant’s automated equipment.

• To meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and Title 32 Code of Federal Regulations Part 651, ACWA, in conjunction with the Blue Grass Army Depot, completes an environmental assessment regarding the possible use of explosive destruction technologies (EDT) in Blue Grass. Following a public comment period, and review of the comments, it is concluded that no significant environmental impacts will occur due to the proposed installation and operation of an EDT.
• Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass received approval from PEO ACWA to begin initial work on an Explosive Destruction Technology system at the Blue Grass plant. Following a competitive procurement process, Bechtel Parsons selected the Static Detonation Chamber.

2012

2011

• The Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant declares the Fire Water Pump House to be the first building at the facility to be complete and ready for operations.
• The arrival of the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives Test Equipment, or ATE, at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant signifies a major milestone towards pilot plant operations as the ATE will be used for practice and training as part of systemizing the facility.
• Department of Defense formally certifies ACWA to Congress under the provisions of the Nunn-McCurdy Act.
• Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass team received Star Status in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program.
• Bechtel Pueblo Team earns recertification of Star Status in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program.

2010

• The Department of Defense accepts the final design for the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.
• To meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and Title 32 Code of Federal Regulations Part 651, ACWA, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot, completes an environmental assessment (EA) regarding the possible use of explosive destruction technologies in Pueblo. Following a public comment period and extensive review by Department of Defense leadership, the EA is withdrawn in September 2010.
• The systemization phase begins at Pueblo and Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plants. Construction teams turn over the first subsystems to the start-up groups for systemization testing and commissioning to begin to prepare the facilities for chemical weapons destruction operations.
• Conrad F. Whyne is named acting program manager.

2009

Members of the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant team receive the Star Status recognition in the Voluntary Protection Program.

• Second phase of Operation Swift Solution at Blue Grass Army Depot successfully completed, which included further treatment of residual contaminated material inside of the steel containers that had contained a nerve agent mixture; cutting the containers in half and decontaminating any remaining solids and container halves.
• U.S. receives chemical agent destruction credit under the Chemical Weapons Convention when Operation Swift Solution wastewater is received by a permitted treatment and disposal facility.
• Department of Defense provides Congress options for accelerating the ACWA program per Public Laws 110-116 and 110-181.
• Third phase of Operation Swift Solution at Blue Grass Army Depot successfully completed, which included decontamination and repackaging of legacy waste and waste generated during the operation and shipment to a permitted disposal facility.
• Department of Defense’s May 2009 Semi-Annual Report to Congress clarified that on-site treatment and disposal of hydrolysate for both locations would continue unless unforeseen technical difficulties arise.
• Bechtel Pueblo Team received Star Status in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program.

2008

A technology known as the Chemical Agent Transfer System was used to drain and neutralize the nerve agent mixture stored

• Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass delivers final design packages for the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant’s three main processing buildings.
• Department of Defense provides Congress options for accelerating the ACWA program per Public Laws 110-116 and 110-181.
• Colorado state health department granted Stage 3 Permit Modification to the PCAPP Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permit, authorizing the Pueblo team to construct facilities used to store and treat munitions, chemical agent and secondary wastes.
• Start up of Operation Swift Solution, the effort to safely eliminate three deteriorating steel containers and wastes associated with the management of these containers that were stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot.
• First phase of Operation Swift Solution at Blue Grass Army Depot successfully completed, with all of the liquid nerve agent mixture previously stored in the three deteriorating steel containers drained and neutralized.

2007

The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant workforce commemorates the acceptance of the final design package by the Department of Defense.

• Department of Defense formally certifies ACWA to Congress under the provisions of Nunn-McCurdy.
• Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission provides formal recommendation to ACWA that hydrolysate, the byproduct of chemical agent neutralization, be treated on site rather than shipped elsewhere for treatment at a commercial facility.
• Formal Acquisition Program Baseline for the ACWA program is approved by the Department of Defense with a total program life-cycle cost of approximately $8 billion.
• The Department of Defense accepts the final design for the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.
• Kevin J. Flamm is named program manager.
• ACWA activated as U.S. Army Element, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives, a separate reporting activity under U.S. Army Materiel Command. Under this arrangement, ACWA receives administrative and logistics support from Army Materiel Command, but the ACWA program manager continues to report directly to the Department of Defense as required by Public Law 105-261.

2006

The groundbreaking ceremony takes place at Blue Grass Army Depot at the future site of the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.

• Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld notifies Congress that the United States will be unable to meet the extended Chemical Weapons Convention deadline of April 29, 2012.
• Community members participate in an independent assessment of the off-site shipment of hydrolysate, the byproduct of chemical agent neutralization, conducted by Noblis.
• Defense Acquisition Board reviews ACWA and determines that cost increases require review and certification under provisions of the Nunn-McCurdy resolution.
• Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant conducts groundbreaking ceremony.

2005

• Department of Defense directs ACWA to redesign the Pueblo and Blue Grass projects to better balance cost and schedule objectives.
• ACWA presents design options to senior Department of Defense officials who authorize the resumption of design work.

2004

Dignitaries, community members and the workforce celebrate the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Groundbreaking.

• Initial Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant design completed.
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permit is issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Certificate of Designation is issued by Pueblo County. Site civil work begins.
• Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Groundbreaking Open House is held to celebrate Stage One construction and honor thousands of former and current employees of the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot.
• Design of processing facilities is suspended while cost reduction measures are evaluated.

2003

• Department of Defense selects neutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation as the official destruction method for the Kentucky chemical weapons stockpile.
• The ACWA program changes its name to Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives to better reflect its newly expanded role: overseeing the full-scale pilot testing of neutralization technologies to destroy the chemical weapons stockpiles in Colorado and Kentucky.
• Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass team is awarded contract to design, build and operate the Blue Grass pilot plant.
• Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board is established in Kentucky.

2001

• Based on previous demonstrations, Engineering Design Studies are planned throughout the year for validated incineration alternative technologies.

2000

• Public Law 106-398 mandates Department of Defense to consider incineration and any demonstrated ACWA technologies for disposal of the Colorado stockpile.
• ACWA successfully demonstrated three additional incineration alternative technologies.

1999

• Public Law 106-52 dictates that the Secretary of Defense certify demonstration of six incineration alternatives before funds are obligated for a disposal facility at Blue Grass Army Depot.
• Public Law 106-79 authorizes the Department of Defense to evaluate three additional incineration alternative technologies.

1998

• Public Law 105-261 provides funding for ACWA to continue efforts to identify and demonstrate incineration alternatives.

1997

• William J. Pehlivanian is appointed ACWA deputy program manager.
• The United States ratifies the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty, which directs all member nations to destroy their chemical weapons and production facilities.
• ACWA begins innovative, open public participation process, known as the ACWA Dialogue.

1996

• Public Law 104-208 establishes the Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment (ACWA) program and provides funding to conduct a pilot program to identify and demonstrate at least two alternatives to incineration for the disposal of assembled chemical weapons.
• Outreach offices open in Kentucky and Colorado communities.
• Michael A. Parker is appointed ACWA program manager.

1995

• Public Law 103-337 prohibits the transportation of chemical stockpile munitions across state lines.

1993

• Public Law 103-337 establishes Citizens’ Advisory Commissions.

1986

• Public Law 99-145 designates the U.S. Army as the organization responsible for the destruction of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile.