The Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) is a facility built to destroy the chemical weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD), near Richmond, Kentucky.
The last munition, an M55 rocket containing GB nerve agent, was destroyed July 7, 2023. It marked the last chemical weapon in the U.S. stockpile.
Since 1944, the Army stored 523 short tons (474 t) of nerve agents sarin (GB) and VX and mustard agent in 155mm projectiles, 8-inch projectiles and M55 rockets at BGAD. That was about 2% of the nation's original chemical weapons stockpile.
BGCAPP used neutralization to destroy the majority of the stockpile and Static Detonation Chamber units to augment the main plant.
Destruction of this stockpile was a requirement of the Chemical Weapons Convention, an international treaty to which the United States is a party. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention and monitored the progress of the nation's chemical weapons destruction programs. The Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA) oversaw the destruction of the Blue Grass chemical weapons stockpile and now is managing destruction of agent-contaminated secondary waste and closure activities.
A systems contract was awarded in June 2003 to a joint venture team composed of Bechtel National, Inc., and Parsons Corporation. The Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass team was contracted to design, construct, systemize, and operate and close BGCAPP.
In March 2005 the design-build-operate-close schedule was extended to make the program more affordable on an annual basis. Site preparation work and the construction of support buildings continued and final designs for the remaining BGCAPP facilities were completed in 2010. In June 2019, the Static Detonation Chamber began destroying mustard agent-filled projectiles. In January 2020, the BGCAPP main plant facility began destroying nerve agent-filled projectiles. The last munition was destroyed July 7, 2023.
The destruction schedule exceeded the terms of the Chemical Weapons Convention deadline of April 29, 2012. The U.S. subsequently made a commitment to the OPCW to complete chemical weapons destruction by Sept. 30, 2023, which it accomplished.
Closure activities (shut-down, dismantling, and restoration of site) are slated to be completed by 2026.
Legislation enacted by the U.S. Congress in 2007 (Public Laws 110-116 and 110-181) mandated the destruction of the remaining U.S. national chemical stockpile in accordance with the April 2012 date, but in no circumstances later than December 31, 2017. This deadline was subsequently extended to December 31, 2023, by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92).
History of chemical demilitarization in Kentucky
Decade
Milestones
1940s
BGAD begins storage of chemical weapons containing mustard agent.
1960s
BGAD begins storage of chemical weapons containing nerve agent.
Congress establishes the ACWA program to identify and demonstrate alternatives to incineration.
Congress ratifies the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty, which directs all member nations to destroy their chemical weapons and production facilities.
2000s
Public Law 107-248[3] assigns ACWA responsibility for destruction of chemical weapons stored in Kentucky if an alternative technology is chosen.
Department of Defense selects neutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) as the destruction method for the Kentucky stockpile.
Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass awarded the contract to design, build, and operate BGCAPP.
The Secretary of Defense affirms to Congress that there are no options by which the U.S. can destroy 100 percent of its chemical stockpile by the extended Chemical Weapons Convention treaty deadline of April 29, 2012.
BGCAPP Groundbreaking is held.
Public Laws 110-116[4] and 110-181[5] are enacted, mandating destruction of the chemical stockpile by April 2012 or in no case later than December 31, 2017.
Site preparation and basic facility infrastructure (perimeter fencing, lighting and underground utilities) is complete.
Vertical construction of the personnel support building, the maintenance building and the badging facility is complete.
Construction activities progress focusing on the facility's Munitions Demilitarization Building, Utility Power Centers, Fire Water Pump House, Utility Building and SCWO Building.
2010s
BGCAPP surpasses 4 million job hours worked without a lost-time injury.[6]
Construction activities progress focusing on the facility's Munitions Demilitarization Building, Utility Power Centers, Fire Water Pump House, Utility Building, SCWO Processing Building and Control and Support Building.
The Department of Defense accepts the final BGCAPP design.
The systemization phase begins at BGCAPP. Construction teams turn over the first subsystems to the start-up groups for systemization testing and commissioning to begin preparing the facilities for chemical weapons destruction operations. The construction teams turn over the first building, the Fire Water Pump House, and the first system, the 138 kV Power Center, to the systemization team.[7]
BGCAPP partners with the Blue Grass Chemical Activity to conduct an X-ray assessment of the mustard agent stockpile. The assessment shows that removal of mustard agent from projectiles would be difficult using the current BGCAPP design. The Blue Grass team evaluates the feasibility of utilizing Explosive Destruction Technology (EDT) to destroy this segment of the stockpile.[8]
BGCAPP is designated as a Voluntary Protection Program Star Status site by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.[2]
In June 2013, BGAD and PEO ACWA completed an environmental assessment to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, and Title 32 Code of Federal Regulations Part 651, to address any potential impacts of the installation and operation of EDT at the depot. The environmental assessment concluded that the installation and operation of an EDT will have no significant environmental impacts. A draft Finding of No Significant Impact was prepared and provided for public comment for a 60-day period. It was concluded that no additional analysis was necessary for the proposed action under NEPA.[9]
Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass received approval from PEO ACWA to begin initial work on an EDT system at the Blue Grass plant. Following a competitive procurement process, Bechtel Parsons selected the Static Detonation Chamber.[10]
The Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant received approval from the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection in 2014 to begin initial construction activities of an EDT facility.
In 2014, systemization reached 25 percent completion at the BGCAPP.[2]
In 2015, the Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass Team earned recertification of Star Status in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Voluntary Protection Program.[2]
In June 2015, the Static Detonation Chamber (SDC) completed Factory Acceptance Testing at the Dynasafe workshop in Kristinehamn, Sweden. The SDC arrived at BGCAPP in August to be assembled, tested and installed.[11]
The SDC was assembled and installed at BGCAPP in early 2016.
In July 2017, the BGCAPP team began systemization or testing activities on the Energetics Batch Hydrolyzers and Metal Parts Treaters.[12]
In August 2017, 25 percent (i.e., 15 systems) of the systems and facilities at BGCAPP were turned over from the systemization team to the operations team.[12]
In September 2017, the BGCAPP team began systemization or testing activities on the Rocket Handling System.
In November 2017, the team began pre-systemization activities in the Explosive Destruction Technology facility.
In late 2017, ACWA Test Equipment (ATE) was introduced in the plant to test and calibrate equipment.[13]
In December 2017, Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection opened a 45-day public comment period[14] on the GB Sampling and Research, Development & Demonstration permit modifications.
In January 2018, the BGCAPP team successfully completed the Systemization Demonstration Procedure[15] for the Energetics Neutralization System.
In February 2018, the BGCAPP team tested pre-filter banks for proper filtration and air flow[16] and the team introduced nitrogen[17] into the plant for the first time.
In March 2018, the BGCAPP systemization team turned over 21 of 59 Blue Grass plant systems to operations.[18]
By July 2018, the BGCAPP systemization team turned over more than half of the 59 systems to operations.[19]
In October 2018, plant workers were fitted for and received M40 masks as part of their standard personal protective equipment.[20]
In November 2018, the Blue Grass plant received 44 M60 training rockets from the Blue Grass Army Depot.[21]
On May 29, 2019, an event was held to mark the start of chemical weapons destruction operations.[22]
In June 2019, the Static Detonation Chamber entered the operations phase with the successful destruction of the first mustard agent-filled munition on June 7.[23]
On June 7, 2019, the Static Detonation Chamber, now called the Static Detonation Chamber 1200, entered the operations phase with the successful destruction of the first mustard agent–filled munition.
In July 2019, the Blue Grass Army Depot commander signed a document verifying no significant impact to the environment is anticipated from the proposed additional Static Detonation Chamber for the Blue Grass plant.[24]
2020s
On January 17, 2020, the BGCAPP main plant entered the operational phase with the destruction of the first 8-inch projectile containing GB nerve agent.
In March 2020, the first concrete foundation was placed for a support building for the new, larger Static Detonation Chamber 2000 facility, which was added to augment the main plant processing.
In May 2020, the first destruction campaign at BGCAPP was completed when all 8-inch projectiles containing GB nerve agent were destroyed using neutralization.[25]
In August 2020, the decision was made to not use the supercritical water oxidation system to process hydrolysate, the product of the neutralization process.[26]
On January 10, 2021, BGCAPP destroyed 155mm projectiles containing VX nerve agent for the first time.[27]
In March 2021, program officials announced hydrolysate, the product of nerve-agent neutralization at BGCAPP, will be destroyed at Veolia North America near Port Arthur, Texas.[28]
On May 28, 2021, the second destruction campaign was completed as the final VX 155mm projectiles were destroyed.[29]
On July 9, 2021, BGCAPP destroyed M55 rockets containing VX nerve agent for the first time, marking the start of the fourth of five destruction campaigns.[30]
On September 4, 2021, the third destruction campaign was completed as the final mustard 155mm projectiles in Kentucky were destroyed.[31]
On October 7, 2021, BGCAPP shipped the first tankers of hydrolysate for destruction at Veolia North America near Port Arthur, Texas.
On November 1, 2021, BGCAPP shipped the first boxes of non-contaminated rocket motors to Anniston Army Depot for destruction in a Static Detonation Chamber.
On April 19, 2022, BGCAPP destroyed the last M55 rocket containing VX nerve agent, thus completing the fourth and penultimate destruction campaign.[32]
On July 6, 2022, the fifth and final destruction campaign began when the first M55 rocket containing GB nerve agent was destroyed.[33]
As of September 9, 2022, 50% of the original stockpile of chemical agent at BGCAPP has been destroyed.[34]
On January 27, 2023, the Static Detonation Chamber 2000 entered the operations phase with the successful destruction of the first containerized rocket warhead previously drained of GB nerve agent in the main plant.[35]
On February 17, 2023, BGCAPP reached 50% destruction of the M55 rockets containing GB nerve agent, in the plant's fifth and final destruction campaign.
As of February 24, 2023, 75% of the original stockpile of chemical agent at BGCAPP has been destroyed.
On April 12, 2023, the last VX nerve agent rocket motor from BGCAPP was destroyed in the Static Detonation Chamber at the Anniston Army Depot in Alabama.[36]
On May 2, 2023, BGCAPP reached 75% destruction complete of the M55 rockets containing GB nerve agent.
On July 7, 2023, BGCAPP destroyed the last M55 rocket containing GB nerve agent, completing the destruction of munitions stored at BGAD and the end of the declared U.S. stockpile.[37]
On July 14, 2023, the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection granted BGCAPP a Temporary Authorization Request to begin closure activities in the main plant.
On Sept. 27, 2023, the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection approved a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permit modification to conduct the closure phase at BGCAPP.
On Oct. 25, 2023, the Static Detonation Chamber 1200 destroyed the first containerized rocket warhead previously drained of VX nerve agent in the main plant as part of secondary-waste operations during closure.
Technology
The Department of Defense conducted studies[38] to evaluate potential impacts of the elimination of these weapons using incineration and non-incineration methods for the plant. Four technologies were considered:
Chemical neutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation and gas phase chemical reduction
Electrochemical oxidation
Neutralization
The Department of Defense initially selected neutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation for use at the depot. In 2020, the decision was made to not use the supercritical water oxidation system and instead ship the nerve agent hydrolysate to a permitted treatment, storage and disposal facility.
The neutralization method consisted of the following steps:
Munitions were disassembled by modified reverse assembly.
The chemical agent was drained from the munitions. The liquid agent was chemically mixed with caustic and water to destroy the chemical agent using hydrolysis. The resulting chemical compound is known as hydrolysate.
Hydrolysate was held and tested to ensure agent destruction.
The agent hydrolysate is being shipped to Veolia North America near Port Arthur, Texas, for further processing. Hydrolysate from decontamination activities will continue to be shipped during the plant's closure phase.
Metal parts were thermally decontaminated by heating them to more than 1,000 °F (538 °C) for a minimum of 15 minutes. The metal parts were then safely recycled.
Gas effluents were filtered through a series of HEPA and carbon filters before being released to the atmosphere.
Explosive Destruction Technology (EDT)
After an X-ray assessment of the mustard munitions stockpile showed that the agent had significantly solidified in the rounds[9]—making removal of mustard agent from projectiles difficult using neutralization—ACWA decided to explore use of Explosive Destruction Technology (aka Explosive Demolition Technology, Explosive Detonation Technology, EDT) for these projectiles.
EDT uses heat/pressure from explosion or just heat to destroy munitions; it is not considered incineration and does not require disassembly of weapons. Three general types of technologies can destroy chemical weapons:
Detonation Technology – destroys the majority of the agent and explosive in the munition by detonating donor explosives wrapped around the munition. The resulting off-gasses are processed through secondary treatment to ensure agent destruction. Examples of detonation technology include the Transportable Detonation Chamber, or TDC, and the DAVINCH (Detonation of Ammunition in a Vacuum-Integrated Chamber).
Neutralization Technology – uses small explosive shaped charges to open the munition and consume the explosive in the burster and fuze. The agent is destroyed by subsequent neutralization. The U.S. Army's Explosive Destruction System, or EDS,[39] is an example.
Thermal Destruction – uses the heat of the electrically heated containment vessel to deflagrate the munition and destroy the agent and energetics. The resulting gases are treated in an off-gas treatment system. The Static Detonation Chamber, or SDC, is an example of thermal destruction technology.
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.[40]
In June 2015, the SDC completed Factory Acceptance Testing at the Dynasafe workshop in Kristinehamn, Sweden. The SDC was assembled and installed at BGCAPP in 2016.[41]
In May 2018, EDT technicians brought the air filtration system online for the first time.[42]
In July 2018, construction substantially completed and testing began on EDT plant equipment in remote operations mode.[43]
In February 2019, a total of 24 B586 conventional munitions were processed in the Static Detonation Chamber as part of systemization activities.[44]
On June 7, 2019, the Static Detonation Chamber, now called the Static Detonation Chamber 1200, entered the operations phase with the successful destruction of the first mustard agent-filled munition.
On September 4, 2021, the final mustard 155mm projectiles in Kentucky were destroyed in the Static Detonation Chamber 1200.[31]
On Oct. 25, 2023, after being retrofitted with a new off-gas treatment system and completing systemization, the Static Detonation Chamber 1200 began destroying drained, containerized rocket warheads containing residual amounts of VX nerve agent. The containerized rocket warheads are considered agent-contaminated secondary waste and are being destroyed as part of the plant's closure phase.
Static Detonation Chamber (SDC)
In September 2019, BGCAPP received state approval to begin work on a second, larger SDC, called the SDC 2000. Workers broke ground January 22, 2020. The site includes the main structure housing the detonation chamber, a storage magazine and support buildings.
It began operations on January 27, 2023, destroying the first containerized rocket warhead containing residual amounts of GB nerve agent.
BGCAPP used the new, larger SDC 2000 to destroy undrained rocket warheads, M55 rocket overpacks and rockets not suitable to be processed in the main plant. It continues to use it to destroy agent-contaminated secondary waste such as containerized, drained rocket warheads, which will continue into the plant's closure phase.
In September 2021, after the final mustard munition was destroyed at BGCAPP, the original SDC, now known as the SDC 1200, began a changeover process. On Oct. 25, 2023, it began destroying drained, containerized rocket warheads containing residual amounts of VX nerve agent. The containerized rocket warheads, which previously had been drained in the main plant, are classified as agent-contaminated secondary waste.
The SDC 2000 and SDC 1200 both are estimated to continue operations until early 2025 as part of the plant's closure phase.
Closure
Closure is the final phase of the project, coming after chemical weapons destruction operations have been completed. Closure encompasses planning, preparation and disposal of agent-contaminated and non-contaminated secondary waste; facility and equipment decontamination; and decommissioning and demolition of facilities in accordance with public law and U.S. Army direction. In addition, personal property is dispositioned, real property is returned to BGAD, environmental permits are closed and the contract is closed.
Public outreach
The Blue Grass Chemical Stockpile Outreach Office was established to serve as the community's primary information resource on chemical weapons destruction in Kentucky.[45] The office responds to inquiries, provides information materials and coordinates guest speakers for a variety of different civic groups and organizations and interfaces with the governor-appointed Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens' Advisory Commission and its Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board.[46]
