Members of a local advisory board are still searching for a chemical neutralization plant design that will cut down on costs.

However, the necessary changes will delay the destruction of the weapons about one year, which may cause the United States to miss the 2012 international treaty deadline, said Chris Midgett, project manager for Bechtel-Parsons Blue Grass.

A work session of the Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board was conducted Wednesday, just one day after the Pentagon released the funding of the chemical destruction.

Several cost-cutting designs have been discussed, but only three were explained at Wednesday's meeting. The three projects will be taken to the regular meeting of the CDCAB on May 24.

The most controversial of the three is a plan to ship hydrolysates - chemical residue that is a result of neutralization - to an off-site location.

Members of the study team will consider identifying commercial facilities that are legally able and willing to process the wastes, determine the costs benefits and information associated with risks and develop a comprehensive plan of action, said Jim Richmond, program manager for assembled chemical weapons alternatives and design consideration team leader.

Another possible design would include limiting the amount supercritical water oxidation machines, which break down chemicals with high pressure and heat, from five to four. Each unit costs $10 million. The only way this design would be used is if the group decides against delivering the chemicals to an off-site location.

The use of conveyors and cranes would be eliminated in another plan to implement forklifts to transport weapons to their point of neutralization.

The plant design will be approximately 25 percent smaller to allow a faster construction pace, but realistically, the weapons at the Blue Grass Army Depot will not be destroyed until April 2012, Midgett said.

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