Halt of Colorado plant design could affect depot

By Ryan Garrett
Register News Writer

An order halting the design of a chemical demilitarization plant in Pueblo, Colo. could affect the Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond, members of the Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board learned Monday.

"The Pueblo site's schedule is about nine months ahead of BGAD," said Bill Pehlivanian, deputy program manager for Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA), the group that oversees the weapons destruction program at several sites around the country.

The Offices of the Secretery of Defense recently instructed ACWA to halt the design of Phase III, the actual demilitarization facility, telling the group that it needs to study alternatives to reduce the cost of the Pueblo project.

"A lot of the most recent developments are pointed at that particular site," Pehlivanian said. "But obviously, as Pueblo is part of our program and Blue Grass (is) also very closely linked, we're trying to maintain continuity in executing that program on every level, to include, certainly, the budget."

Funding is not the only link between Pueblo and BGAD. The designs also have some similarities because the sites are destroying some of the same materials and Bechtel Parsons heads both projects.

"Obviously, there's going to be an impact to the schedule. I don't think anybody could not realize an impact to the schedule," Pehlivanian said. "How much impact is to be determined."

With the delay in Pueblo, activities might slow down at BGAD as well.

"I think this is the most critical issue facing us right now," said board co-chair Craig Williams. "Secondary waste, permitting--all important. But if there's no money to execute the program, it doesn't make any difference."

A slowdown at BGAD would contradict previous government assertions that it was more dangerous to continue storing the weapons than to dispose of them, as well as an order to speed up the demilitarization process after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Williams said.

"If the Pueblo site has already been knocked off the tee, I think we're on the tee," said Williams, who is also director of the Berea-based Chemical Weapon Working Group, which has pushed for alternative disposal techniques.

ACWA has not received any direction to suspend design work or analyze alternate designs for BGAD, but the events at Pueblo make it "probable," Pehlivanian said.

The group only intends to change the design to reduce costs, and "There's no intention to change the technology decision at either site," he said.

Board members said they are concerned Blue Grass will now be footing the bill for the project.

A memorandum from Partick Wakefield, deputy assistant to the secretary of defense, presented during the meeting suggests that all sites, including Pueblo and BGAD, be considered as possible bill payers.

Ultimately, the board's priority is to push for the demilitarization and safe disposal of the 523 tons of nerve agent stored at BGAD in a timely fashion.

The board gave Williams authority to write a letter lobbying legislatures for full funding for ACWA and the demilitarization process.

"We've been told for 20 years that the risk of storing this material is far greater than the risk of disposing it by any means," Williams said. "To, at this point, say, 'Well, you can sit on this for another four or five years because we don't have the money,' is unacceptable."

Ryan Garrett can be reached at rgarrett@richmondregister.com or at 623-1669, Ext. 234.