Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant

The Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) is a chemical weapons destruction facility built to destroy the chemical weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD), near Richmond, Kentucky. The plant is dedicated to the destruction of 523 short tons (474 t) of nerve agents sarin (GB) and VX, and mustard agent, which constitute about two percent of the United States chemical weapons stockpile.[1]

BGCAPP Logo

Since 1944, the U.S. Army has stored approximately two percent of its original chemical weapons stockpile at BGAD. Destruction of this stockpile is 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 monitors the progress of the nation's chemical weapons destruction programs. The Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA) oversees the destruction of the Blue Grass chemical weapons stockpile.

BGCAPP Aerial

Planning and organization

A systems contract was awarded in June 2003 to a joint venture team composed of Bechtel National, Inc., and Parsons Infrastructure and Technology Group, Inc. The Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass team is contracted to develop a design-build plan and then design, construct, systemize, 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 processing nerve agent-filled projectiles. The destruction operations are expected to be complete by 2023. The plant will operate until all the chemical weapons have been destroyed. Closure activities (shut-down, dismantling, and restoration of site) are slated to be wrapped up by 2026. This schedule exceeds the terms of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Legislation enacted by the U.S. Congress in 2007 (Public Laws 110-116 and 110-181) mandates the destruction of the remaining U.S. national chemical stockpile in accordance with the April 2012 date, but in no circumstances later than Dec. 31, 2017.[2] This deadline was subsequently extended to Dec. 31, 2023, by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92).[3]

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.
1980s[4]
  • Public Law 99-145 designates the U.S. Army responsible for the destruction of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile.
1990s[5]
  • 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[6] 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 the 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[7] and 110-181[8] 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.[9]
  • 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.[10]
  • 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.[11]
  • BGCAPP is designated as a Voluntary Protection Program Star Status site by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.[5]
  • 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.[12]
  • 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.[13]
  • 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.[5]
  • In 2015, the Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass Team earned recertification of Star Status in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Voluntary Protection Program.[5]
  • 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.[14]
  • 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.[15]
  • 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.[15]
  • In September 2017, the BGCAPP team began systemization or testing activities on the Rocket Handling System.[15]
  • 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.[16]
  • In December 2017, Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection opened 45-day public comment period[17] on the GB Sampling and Research, Development & Demonstration permit modifications.
  • In January 2018, the BGCAPP team successfully completed the Systemization Demonstration Procedure[18] for the Energetics Neutralization System.
  • In February 2018, the BGCAPP team tested pre-filter banks for proper filtration and air flow[19] and team introduced nitrogen[20] 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.[21]
  • By July 2018, the BGCAPP systemization team turned over more than half of the 59 systems to operations.[22]
  • In October 2018, plant workers were fitted for and received M40 masks as part of their standard personal protective equipment.[23]
  • In November 2018, the Blue Grass plant received 44 M60 training rockets from the Blue Grass Army Depot.[24]
  • On May 29, 2019, an event was held to mark the start of chemical weapons destruction operations.[25]
  • 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.[26]
  • 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.[27]
2020s
  • On Jan. 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 Static Detonation Chamber 2000 facility, which will augment the main plant processing.

Technology

The Department of Defense conducted studies[28] to evaluate potential impacts of the elimination of these weapons using incineration and non-incineration methods for the plant. Four technologies were considered:

  • incineration
  • chemical neutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation (SCWO)
  • chemical neutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation and gas phase chemical reduction
  • electrochemical oxidation

The Department of Defense selected neutralization followed by SCWO for use at the depot. The method comprises the following steps:

  • Munitions are disassembled by modified reverse assembly.[29]
  • The chemical agent is drained from the munitions. The liquid agent is chemically mixed with caustic and water to destroy the chemical agent using hydrolysis. The resulting chemical compound is known as hydrolysate.
  • Hydrolysate is held and tested to ensure agent destruction before proceeding to secondary treatment.
  • The agent hydrolysate is fed into the SCWO units to destroy the organic materials. SCWO subjects the hydrolysate to very high temperatures and pressures, breaking them down into carbon dioxide, water and salts.
  • Metal parts are thermally decontaminated by heating them to 1,000 °F (538 °C) for a minimum of 15 minutes. The metal parts can then be safely recycled.
  • Gas effluents are filtered through a series of HEPA and carbon filters before being released to the atmosphere. Water is recycled into the pilot plant facility and reused as part of the destruction process.

Explosive Destruction Technology (EDT)

After an X-ray assessment of the mustard munitions stockpile showed that the agent had significantly solidified in the rounds[12]—making removal of mustard agent from projectiles difficult using neutralization and SCWO—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 the munitions; it is not considered incineration and does not require disassembly of the weapons.[14] There are three general types of technologies that 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,[30] 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.[31]

In June 2015, the SDC completed Factory Acceptance Testing at the Dynasafe workshop in Kristinehamn, Sweden. The SDC was assembled and installed in 2016.[32]

In May 2018, EDT technicians brought the air filtration system online for the first time.[33]

In July 2018, construction substantially completed and testing began on EDT plant equipment in remote operations mode.[34]

In February 2019, a total of 24 B586 conventional munitions were processed in the Static Detonation Chamber as part of systemization activities.[35]

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.[36]

In 2019, due to worker safety concerns, a decision was made to discontinue use of the Energetics Neutralization System to process M55 rocket warheads that have been drained of their nerve agent. Instead, these drained warheads, along with overpacked M55 rockets, will be processed in the SDC 1200 or a larger SDC 2000, which is in the process of being procured and permitted. The nerve agent will be processed through the plant's Agent Neutralization System as originally planned.

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.[37] 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.[38]

References
  1. Department of Environmental Protection (2016). "Division of Waste Management: Blue Grass Army Depot". waste.ky.gov. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  2. "National Defense Authorization At for Fiscal Year 2016" (PDF). gpo.gov. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  3. "Public Law 114-92" (PDF).
  4. "Public Law 99-145" (PDF). uscode.house.gov. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  5. Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives. "Program Timeline". peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  6. "Public Law 107-248" (PDF). www.congress.gov. October 23, 2002. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  7. "Public Law 110-116" (PDF). www.congress.gov. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  8. "Public Law 110-181" (PDF). www.congress.gov. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  9. "Design of chemical weapons destruction facility concludes". Richmond Register. August 2, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  10. Clemons, Becca (May 31, 2011). "First building operational at Richmond's chemical agent destruction plant". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  11. U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency. "U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency: Project Manager for Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel: X-Ray Assessment of 155mm Mustard Projectiles Stored at Blue Grass Army Chemical Activity, Richmond, Kentucky" (PDF). peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  12. Front Matter | Assessment of Explosive Destruction Technologies for Specific Munitions at the Blue Grass and Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plants | The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/12482.
  13. "Facts: Static Detonation Chamber (SDC) | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  14. "BGCAPP Explosive Destruction Technology | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". www.peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  15. "Facts: Blue Grass-Specific Equipment | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". www.peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  16. "Experts Renew Efforts at Blue Grass Mustard Destruction Project | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". www.peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  17. "State Agency Opens Permit Public Comment Period | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". www.peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  18. "Team Completes Demonstration of Key System | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". www.peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  19. "Technicians Use Mist and Light to Test Filters | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". www.peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  20. "Nitrogen Introduced into Blue Grass Plant for First Time | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". www.peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  21. "Experts: 21 Systems Turned Over to Operations | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". www.peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  22. "More Than Half of Blue Grass Systems Turned Over to Operations".
  23. "Protective Masks Issued Ahead of Plant Operations".
  24. "Plant Receives Army Training Rockets".
  25. "Stakeholders Recognize Start of Kentucky Chemical Weapons Destruction at Event".
  26. Six, Taylor (June 12, 2019). "30 Munitions Destroyed at BGAD". Richmond Register.
  27. "Recommend Approval of the Finding of No Significant Impact for the Referenced Environmental Assessment, May 2019" (PDF).
  28. Council, National Research (2006-07-12). Letter Report of Review and Assessment of the Proposals for Design and Operation of Designated Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plants (DCAPP-Blue Grass).
  29. "Facts: Chemical Weapons Destruction at Blue Grass | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  30. "Explosive Destruction System Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". www.peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  31. Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (2013). "How the Static Detonation Chamber Will Augment the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant" (PDF). peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  32. The National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine (2010). "Review of the Design of the Dynasafe Static Detonation Chamber (SDC) System for the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility". nap.edu. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  33. "Technicians Start Air Filtration System for First Time | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". www.peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  34. "BGCAPP Monthly Recap – July 2018 | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". www.peoacwa.army.mil. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  35. "Crew Tests Equipment Procedures with Conventional Munitions".
  36. "First chemical weapon destroyed at Kentucky Army facility". WKYT. June 12, 2019.
  37. "Facts: Blue Grass Chemical Stockpile Outreach Office | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  38. "Facts: Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens' Advisory Commission and Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board | Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA)". Retrieved April 3, 2017.

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