Leaders of two Madison County advisory panels are expressing keen interest in decisions regarding the transportation of chemical munition waste from the Blue Grass Army Depot.
The remarks came during an update on chemical weapon disposal currently underway at the installation. Neutralized agent will not undergo supercritical water oxidation on site, as first proposed. Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board Co-Chair Craig Williams would like to see some of the equipment in Richmond moved to another location. “It’s my desire and hope that several of the SCWO units will be moved to other Army facilities that have a need to eliminate the open burning of liquid waste,” said Williams
Williams said that might be at an Army facility with much more liquid waste than Blue Grass. Citizens’ Advisory Commission Chair Doug Hindman expressed concern that large amounts of material could be trucked into Madison County in the years ahead for disposal at the supercritical water oxidation facility. “We will have a state of the art, one of the best hazardous waste disposal facilities in the country and it can destroy chemical weapons. It can destroy all sorts of stuff,” explained Hindman.
An Army representative said it hasn’t been determined when any material might be brought to the Richmond plant.
The neutralized waste generated at the Depot destruction plant is to be transported to another Army site for its final resolution.?
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