Jane Edwards
Bechtel has completed the safe destruction of mustard agent-filled munitions at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado.
The Bechtel Pueblo Team destroyed over 780,000 projectiles and mortar rounds under three campaigns involving three various sizes of chemical weapons and reported the milestone to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the company said Thursday.
In March 2015, the team kicked off the destruction operations in Colorado.
“Bechtel is proud to have played a significant role in eliminating chemical weapons from the stockpile in Colorado. We understand the international implication and the U.S. commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention,” said Michael Costas, general manager of defense and space business at Bechtel.
The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant will transition to the closure phase that will run for two to three years. Under this phase, activities include decontamination and decommissioning of equipment and facilities, closure of government contracts and environmental permits, demolition of certain facilities and disposal of secondary wastes.
“This is a remarkable program, and we are proud to achieve this accomplishment with our teaming partners, Amentum, Battelle, and GP Strategies, our subcontractors, the community, the state, the Pueblo Chemical Depot, and our customer, the Department of Defense,” said Todd Ailes, project manager of the Bechtel Pueblo Team.
A Bechtel-led team is destroying the rest of the chemical weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky.
