New building at depot marks beginning of demilitarization
By Ronica Brandenburg/Register News Writer

One of the first steps toward demilitarization at the Blue Grass Army Depot was celebrated Thursday at the dedication of a new $2 million laundry support facility.

“Things like this have to be in place before we get to demilitarization and we're getting their relatively quickly,” said Lt. Col. George Shuplinkov, Blue Grass Chemical Activity commander.

The new facility will be used to maintain and issue gas masks as well as to inspect and repair protective clothing.

“This facility supports not only the Blue Grass Chemical Activity toxic chemical workers and depot employees who provide emergency decontamination of chemical workers, but also the workers who will build and operate the $2 billion destruction facility,” said Dick Sloan, public relations officer for BGCA.

Employees who do daily inspections in weapon storage igloos must wear a gas mask and a rubber suit. Each suit is decontaminated and laundered after each use and the gas masks are inspected on a monthly basis.

Each mask has 12 different components and must have an airtight seal. The rubber suits are cleaned and then blown up like a balloon to check for leaks. More than 700 masks and suits are maintained for toxic chemical workers.

Another part of the 11,000-square-foot facility is the shower and changing areas for workers after they leave the igloos. This facility replaces one that had been in use for several decades, Sloan said.

As construction of the weapons disposal facility begins, there will be more than 1,000 additional workers who will be utilizing the facility.

The weapons disposal plant is almost through the design phase and land is being cleared for a road to gain access to the facility. It will be about 69,000 square feet and will cost an estimated $2 billion. The 880,000 chemical weapons stored at the depot are to be destroyed by 2012.

“In the next few years, we're going to see more changes,” Shuplinkov said. “We're finally past the cocoon stage. You can see the beginning of a transformation.”

Ronica Brandenburg can be reached at rbrandenburg@ richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.