The second in a series of permits needed to begin construction on the chemical weapons disposal plant at the Blue Grass Army Depot was issued Wednesday.

The air quality permit is mandated by the Clean Air Act of 1970 and is issued by the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection's Division for Air Quality.

The first permit issued was for research and development under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The permit was issued last week by the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection's (KDEP) Division of Waste Management.

It was written to destroy only GB agent or ”sarin“; however, based on the success of the process, the permit may be expanded as a regular permit and includes the destruction of VX and mustard agents.

”In order to complete the destruction of the chemical agent stockpile after completion of pilot testing, we must submit a part B permit (or a modification to the BGAD permit) to the KDEP Division of Waste Management for approval,“ said Mickey Morales, outreach manager for Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass, the government's contractor for the project.

The air quality permit is for air emissions and ensures that air pollutants stay at a minimum.

The pilot plant is a project of high priority to those at the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, stating that ”There is an increasing risk to human health and the environment from long-term storage of the aging chemical munitions,“ according to a statement released in July.

The original plans for the facility have been changed in order to cut down on cost. The previous plant design called for 99,000 square feet; however, the redesign has decreased the size to around 69,000 square feet. The current cost for the plant is estimated at around $2 billion.

”We will need to modify both the air quality permit and research, development and demonstration permit to incorporate these changes,“ Morales said.

Initial infrastructure construction for the facility is expected to begin in 2006. Construction for the main destruction facility is scheduled to continue during 2007 while the plant design is finalized by the contractor.

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