Jane Edwards
Bechtel has concluded the safe destruction of the last munition in the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant in Kentucky.
The Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass team enabled the U.S. to fulfill its commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty after destroying about 523 U.S. tons of chemical agent configured in projectiles and rockets containing mustard and GB and VX nerve agents through a campaign that started in 2019, the company said Friday.
“The team safely finished every munition campaign, successfully completing our mission ahead of the September 30, 2023, treaty deadline,” said Michael Costas, general manager of Bechtel’s defense and space business.
Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass, a joint venture of Bechtel and Parsons‘ government services business, designed, built and operated BGCAPP under a contract awarded by the Department of Defense’s program executive office, assembled chemical weapons alternatives in 2003.
The team will now close the pilot plant through a multiyear effort that will kick off through equipment dismantling and decontamination activities.
In June, Bechtel also completed the destruction of mustard agent-filled munitions at the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado.
