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 (SDC) units to augment the main plant. Non-contaminated rocket motors removed as part of the destruction process were destroyed in the Anniston, Alabama, SDC.
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 agent-contaminated secondary waste. It continues to oversee closure activities scheduled to be complete in Fiscal Year 2028.
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, 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 SDC 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 on July 7, 2023.
The destruction schedule exceeded the terms of the Chemical Weapons Convention deadline of April 29, 2012. The U.S. subsequently committed to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to complete chemical weapons destruction by September 30, 2023, which it accomplished.
Closure activities (decontamination, demolition, restoration of the site, and closure of permits) are slated to be completed in Fiscal Year 2028.
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 Decade Milestones 1940s BGAD began the storage of chemical weapons containing mustard agent.1960s BGAD began the storage of chemical weapons containing nerve agent.1980s Public Law 99-145 designated the U.S. Army responsible for the destruction of the U.S. chemical weapons stockpile.1990s Congress established the ACWA program to identify and demonstrate alternatives to incineration. Congress ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty, which directs all member nations to destroy their chemical weapons and production facilities.2000s Public Law 107-248 assigned ACWA responsibility for the destruction of chemical weapons stored in Kentucky if an alternative technology was chosen. Department of Defense selected 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 BGCAPP. The Secretary of Defense affirmed to Congress that there were no options by which the U.S. could destroy 100 percent of its chemical stockpile by the extended Chemical Weapons Convention treaty deadline of April 29, 2012. The BGCAPP groundbreaking was held. Public Laws 110-116 and 110-181 were enacted, mandating the 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) were complete. Vertical construction of the personnel support building, the maintenance building, and the badging facility was complete. Construction activities progressed, focusing on the facility's Munitions Demilitarization Building, Utility Power Centers, Fire Water Pump House, Utility Building, and SCWO Building.2010s BGCAPP surpassed 4 million job hours worked without a lost-time injury. Construction activities progressed, 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 accepted the final BGCAPP design. The systemization phase began at BGCAPP. Construction teams turned 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 turned over the first building, the Fire Water Pump House, and the first system, the 138 kV Power Center, to the systemization team. BGCAPP partnered with the Blue Grass Chemical Activity to conduct an X-ray assessment of the mustard agent stockpile. The assessment showed that the removal of mustard agent from projectiles would be difficult using the current BGCAPP design. The Blue Grass team evaluated the feasibility of utilizing Explosive Destruction Technology (EDT) to destroy this segment of the stockpile. BGCAPP was designated as a Voluntary Protection Program Star Status site by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In June 2013, BGAD and PEO ACWA completed an environmental assessment to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (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. 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 SDC. BGCAPP 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 BGCAPP. In 2015, the Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass Team earned recertification of Star Status in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Voluntary Protection Program. In June 2015, the 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. The SDC was assembled and installed at BGCAPP in early 2016. In July 2017, the BGCAPP team began systemization and testing activities on the Energetics Batch Hydrolyzers and Metal Parts Treaters. 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. In September 2017, the BGCAPP team began systemization or testing activities on the Rocket Handling System. In November 2017, the team began pre-systemization activities in the EDT facility. In late 2017, ACWA Test Equipment (ATE) was introduced in the plant to test and calibrate equipment. In December 2017, Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection opened a 45-day public comment period on the GB Sampling and Research, Development & Demonstration permit modifications. In January 2018, the BGCAPP team successfully completed the Systemization Demonstration Procedure for the Energetics Neutralization System. In February 2018, the BGCAPP team tested pre-filter banks for proper filtration and air flow, and the team introduced nitrogen 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. By July 2018, the BGCAPP systemization team turned over more than half of the 59 systems to operations. In October 2018, plant workers were fitted for and received M40 masks as part of their standard personal protective equipment. In November 2018, the Blue Grass plant received 44 M60 training rockets from BGAD. On May 29, 2019, an event was held to mark the start of chemical weapons destruction operations. In June 2019, the SDC entered the operations phase with the successful destruction of the first mustard agent-filled munition on June 7, 2019. In July 2019, the Blue Grass Army Depot commander signed a document verifying that no significant impact to the environment is anticipated from the proposed additional SDC for the Blue Grass plant.2020s On January 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 new, larger SDC 2000 facility, which was added to augment the main plant processing. In May 2020, the first destruction campaign at BGCAPP was completed when all 8-inch projectiles containing GB nerve agent were destroyed using neutralization. In August 2020, the decision was made not to use the supercritical water oxidation system to process hydrolysate, the product of the neutralization process. On January 10, 2021, BGCAPP destroyed 155mm projectiles containing VX nerve agent for the first time. In March 2021, program officials announced that hydrolysate, the product of nerve-agent neutralization at BGCAPP, would be destroyed at Veolia North America near Port Arthur, Texas. On May 28, 2021, the second destruction campaign was completed as the final VX 155mm projectiles were destroyed. On July 9, 2021, BGCAPP destroyed M55 rockets containing VX nerve agent for the first time, marking the start of the fourth of five destruction campaigns. On September 4, 2021, the third destruction campaign was completed as the final mustard 155mm projectiles in Kentucky were destroyed. On October 7, 2021, BGCAPP shipped the first tankers of hydrolysate for destruction at Veolia North America near Port Arthur, Texas. On November 1, 2021, BGCAPP shipped the first boxes of non-contaminated rocket motors to Anniston Army Depot for destruction in an SDC. On March 29, 2022, the Anniston Field Office destroyed the first non-contaminated motors removed from M55 rockets at BGCAPP. On April 19, 2022, BGCAPP destroyed the last M55 rocket containing VX nerve agent, thus completing the fourth and penultimate destruction campaign. On July 6, 2022, the fifth and final destruction campaign began when the first M55 rocket containing GB nerve agent was destroyed. As of September 9, 2022, 50% of the original stockpile of chemical agents at BGCAPP has been destroyed. On January 27, 2023, the SDC 2000 entered the operations phase with the successful destruction of the first containerized rocket warhead previously drained of GB nerve agent in the main plant.