All Mustard Agent Projectiles Now Destroyed at Richmond Depot

BLUE GRASS ARMY DEPOT, Ky. (WTVQ) – The last 155mm projectiles containing  mustard agent were destroyed in the  Static Detonation Chamber at the  Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Sept. 4.

This marks the third of five chemical weapons destruction campaigns completed at the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD).

“There is no doubt destroying the mustard projectiles in a Static Detonation Chamber was the right choice of technology to use,” said Dr. Candace Coyle, BGCAPP site project manager. “We knew the 1940s-era mustard agent would prove difficult to destroy due to its age and impurities.”

“The safety performance of our team was outstanding throughout the entire campaign,” said Ron Hink, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass (BPBG) project manager. “Our team faced numerous challenges with the destruction of the mustard projectiles, but we were able to overcome those challenges and safely and successfully complete their destruction.”

A 2011 X-ray assessment of the chemical weapons stockpile in Kentucky confirmed the solidification of agent in a significant number of mustard projectiles, rendering them unsuitable for automated processing in the main plant, as originally planned.

These problematic munitions required a different technological approach for their destruction.