Bids sought on building weapons
disposal plant
By
Marc Zarefsky
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER
A major step has been taken toward destruction of 523 tons of chemical weapons at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond.
Officials for Bechtel Parsons, the Army contractor overseeing construction and operation of the chemical weapons destruction facility, announced Wednesday that bids are being sought from sub-contractors for the new plant.
The work will include site clearing, and construction of a new, two-lane road.
"It's quite a welcome milestone to see some real tangible activities that are going to take place regarding the disposal of these chemical weapons," Craig Williams, director of the Berea-based Chemical Weapons Working Group, said yesterday.
Congress last month approved the 2006 Defense Appropriations Bill, which included an amendment making it possible for money allocated for the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives Program to be used for construction of chemical weapons destruction plants.
Previously, $33 million for ACWA facilities in Kentucky and Colorado had been restricted to use for research and development, as requested by the Department of Defense.
Under an international treaty, the United States has until April 2012 to destroy its chemical weapons stockpile.
That includes the 523 tons of nerve and blister agent stored at Blue Grass Army Depot.
The U.S. Army announced its intentions to destroy the depot's 101,000 weapons in 1984, but Williams said the time since has been filled mainly with discussions about the plant.
Groundbreaking for the plant is expected to take place this April, and Williams said construction will take about three years to complete.
Once the facility is built, a test-period will take place for roughly one year.
Once the tests are complete, Williams estimated the operational phase will take about two years.