The timeline for disposal of mustard blister agent stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot appears likely to change. Mustard and nerve munitions have been buried in bunkers at the Madison County army installation since World War II. The change in scheduling could mean demilitarization of nerve agent first.
Officials at the Madison County facility had hoped to begin mustard agent destruction by the end of 2017. But some of the construction costs, including millions of dollars to replace deficient welds in the new plant, are affecting the schedule. The work to redo the welds carried a $15 million cost alone.
Jeff Brubaker, Site Project Manager for the Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant, says nerve munition neutralization could begin before mustard agent disposal. “They represent from an off-depot potential hazard, a much higher risk level than the mustard projectiles,” said Brubaker.
Brubaker says nerve agent destruction in a separate plant building is still scheduled to start by 2020 and be finished in 2023. He says it’s possible both nerve and mustard agents could be destroyed at the same time, but adds that’s not currently an approved option. ?
