Anniston Star
June 25, 2003

Firm hired to destroy weapons in Arkansas

Associated Press
06-25-2003

PINE BLUFF, Ark.

A $20.4 million contract has been awarded to Teledyne Brown Engineering to destroy components of a chemical weapons program that was never completed.

Teledyne Brown, whose main office is in Huntsville was hired Monday to handle the destruction of chemicals and equipment obtained for the Army's binary weapons program. The program was begun at the Pine Bluff Arsenal but never finished.

The company will convert a building to what the Army is calling the Pine Bluff Binary Destruction Facility. The converted building will destroy the two chemicals, which are not chemical weapons agents themselves but form chemical agents when combined with other ingredients.

Destruction of the chemicals is expected to take about three months.

A water-based neutralization technology will destroy the chemicals, producing some solid waste that will be shipped to disposal facilities, according to spokeswoman Ann Gallegos.

Work on the binary destruction building is to begin June 2004 and should be finished in January 2005. The Army plans to re-use and recycle some uncontaminated and decontaminated materials and containers.