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.

Planning and organization

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 September 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

Technology

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

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:

Explosive Destruction Technology (EDT)

After an X-ray assessment of the mustard munitions stockpile showed that the agent had significantly solidified in the rounds —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: 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. 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. In May 2018, EDT technicians brought the air filtration system online for the first time. In July 2018, construction substantially completed and testing began on EDT plant equipment in remote operations mode. In February 2019, a total of 24 B586 conventional munitions were processed in the Static Detonation Chamber as part of systemization activities. 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. On October 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 October 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 permanently closed to the public in 2024, but staff continues to be available at bgoutreach@iem.com. The Blue Grass Chemical Stockpile Outreach Office was established to serve as the community's primary information resource on chemical weapons destruction in Kentucky. Although the outreach office closed in April 2024 as part of overall BGCAPP closure activities, the BGCAPP outreach staff continues to respond to inquiries, provides information to stakeholders and guest speakers for civic groups, and interfaces with the governor-appointed Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens' Advisory Commission and its Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board.