138th Year... and still on the job!	Monday June 5, 2006

BECHTEL CORP. will try to put Puebloans in 85 percent of the nearly 1,100 operational jobs and more than 600 construction jobs as the prime contractor for Pueblo Chemical Depot's weapons demilitarization program.

The only condition is that the applicants be qualified to work under requirements set by the client, the Department of Defense. First off, druggies need not apply.

Gary Anderson, project manager for the government's Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternative program, said he knows of no one ever hired in a job covered by the Army regulations who had any history of drug use. No doubt that covers both active abusers and those who may be clean now but have a drug arrest or conviction on their records.

The Army's Personnel Reliability Program regulations for civilian workers are highly appropriate, given the high-security nature of the work involved. In Pueblo's case, the assigned task is to destroy 780,000 explosive mortar rounds and artillery shells containing mustard agent.

The Army regs won't tolerate alcohol or drug problems, convictions or involvement in "serious incidents," according to Loren Sharp of the Washington Demilitarization Co., which will handle much of the project operations.

Many of the construction jobs, expected to peak at more than 600 by mid-2008, already are being filled by Bechtel subcontractors. However, there may be time yet for skilled workers to complete apprenticeships as electricians and other building trades needed to fulfill the construction contracts.

More time is available for Puebloans to prepare themselves for the operations jobs, which will peak at nearly 1,100 paid positions in approximately eight years. Most of the work will require good educations, many college degrees in chemistry, technology fields and the like. All of the jobs will demand strong personal skills and excellent work habits.

The people hired to work at the Chemical Depot will build employment histories that will stand them in good stead long after this particular project is completed around 2014 or 2015. It would be a crying shame if Bechtel and other contractors can't find enough equalified Puebloans to fill the bulk of the jobs. Now is the time for local residents to make themselves ready to share in the economic boom.

They should not sit on the sidelines and watch others take jobs that ought to remain in Pueblo.