Manager named to oversee chemical weapons destruction plant
By Ronica Brandenburg/Register News Writer

Ralph Collins of New York has been named the deputy project manager for the chemical weapons destruction pilot plant to be built at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

Collins' position begins Nov. 14, and he will assist Site Project Manager Jim Fritsche in managing the plant's office and overseeing the army's contractor for the project, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass.

He offers a wide knowledge base of chemical stockpile destruction. Collins served 26 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy doing a variety of assignments involving petroleum management, facility operations and maintenance, government procurement and general logistics.

Since then, he has served as the Deputy Commissioner for the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection for eight years.

“With his extensive background in chemical weapons destruction as a state regulator, his strong relationships with the public and the regulating community, and his keen understanding of the issues, Ralph is a perfect fit for assisting me in leading the Blue Grass project,” Fritsche said.

Although his new position will be different from his previous duties, his goal remains the same.

“We must safely and efficiently destroy the stockpile of chemical weapons and eliminate the threat that the stockpile presents to nearby communities,” he said.

Collins represented Kentucky as a part of Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA). He also is the state chair for the Kentucky Environmental Working Integrated Process Team that brought together state and Army officials to expedite the planning, development and implementation of all aspects of the environmental permitting process for the Blue Grass Army Depot.

He received a bachelor's degree in engineering from Ohio State University, a master's degree in business administration and a second master's in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.

“I look forward to joining the excellent team of military, civil service and contractor personnel that ACWA has assembled,” he said. “I am also anxious to re-establish contact with the state and local officials and the citizen's groups who monitor our progress on the project.”

The pilot plant's design must be 60 percent complete by February 2006 and is meant to reduce costs and speed the process of destroying chemical weapons. Around 800 employees will be needed once the facility is constructed.

The current cost for the plant is estimated at around $2 billion.

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