News

MORROW: EXPLORE PBCDF OPTIONS

By Rick Joslin/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Wednesday, November 22, 2006 8:29 AM CST

WHITE HALL -- Retired Maj. Gen. Don Morrow, former adjutant general of the Arkansas Army National Guard, believes the Army should investigate possible alternative uses for the Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Facility after the plant completes its mission of eliminating the Pine Bluff Arsenal chemical munitions stockpile.

Morrow is currently the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services' representative on the Pine Bluff Arsenal Citizen's Advisory Commission.

"It (PBCDF) is a tremendous investment," Morrow said at a Tuesday night meeting of the advisory panel, held at the arsenal. "I think it should be looked at for other possible uses."

Morrow is aware that, under current federal law, all facilities used in the destruction of chemical weapons must be designed and utilized solely for that purpose.

Sgt. Maj. Jerry Curtiss of the arsenal told the Pine Bluff Rotary Club in a Nov. 7 luncheon address that "discussions" had begun on possibly determining other uses for PBCDF after it fulfills its original purpose.

Curtiss said that area leaders "need to have a dialogue" that might help in altering the present law governing PBCDF's usage so that the local incineration plant could provide future services.

Thus far in its public affairs efforts, the Army has consistently stated that PBCDF and other such plants -- in keeping with the Army's pledge to provide for human health and safety and to protect the environment -- will be dismantled and disposed of in the closure phase of the demilitarization process.

Facilities constructed for disposal of stockpiled chemical munitions and related materiel can also be used to destroy non-stockpile chemical materiel if such action is permitted by the state in which a plant is located. The Army is permitted to operate PBCDF by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.

Through Monday, PBCDF had eliminated 68,998 nerve agent GB-filled rockets, nearly 70 percent of that inventory. Overall, the facility has destroyed 728,087 pounds of GB agent, just under 10 percent of the total chemical agent tonnage.

Randy Long, the Army's PBCDF site project manager, told the commission that the program continues to receive accolades for its safety accomplishments.

Long said that Pine Bluff Chemical Activity, which is responsible for the storage of chemical munitions and their transport to the disposal facility, was recently cited for its safety achievements during PBCDF's 20 months of operations.

Thus far, PBCA has delivered more than 70,000 rockets to PBCDF in over 2,300 transports. No lost-time accidents have occurred in the efforts that cover 8-million man hours of labor.

Long announced that PBCDF has gained full federal funding for Fiscal Year 2007.

"That means (the Army) will be able to continue and support all activities planned for the period," said Long.

Guy Campbell of Washington Demilitarization Company, PBCDF's systems contractor, advised the commission that testing of the facility will begin Dec. 11 and continue until early January.

Campbell said a recent trial burn involving the facility's metal parts furnace was successful. Derick Warrick of ADEQ echoed Campbell's assessment.

Joe Daven, chief of the arsenal's non-stockpile program, reported that as independent non-stockpile operations are satisfied, officials are seeking avenues of utilizing project materials in other interests.

As an example, he cited the program's donation of some personal protection equipment to the arsenal's fire department.

Daven -- saying he was prompted by "recent confusion" -- said he wanted to publicly state that (non-stockpile) "weapons are no longer shipped into" the arsenal.

Off-site transportation of stockpile munitions is unlawful.

Commission Chairwoman Betsy Francis said she believes 2007 commission meetings should be held at sites throughout the 10-county Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) area, as was the panel's original practice.

The panel tentatively scheduled its next meeting for Jan. 23 in Lonoke County. The exact site is to be determined.