By Ronica Shannon
The recent inclement weather has put a temporary halt Operation Swift Solution at the Blue Grass Army Depot, and operations are to begin again on Monday, Feb. 9.
The project began in November and the goal is to destroy the contents of three, “ton” containers, one of which leaked in August 2007.
The operation is now in phase three, which involves processing the wastes generated during the management of current and previous operations associated with these containers.
When this is completed, the operational facilities will be shut down and the temporary structures and equipment will be shipped back to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
Army teams, including members from the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, the Blue Grass Chemical Activity, the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD), the Chemical Materials Agency and the U.S. Army Element, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives, are involved in the destruction effort, with cooperation and oversight from local and state government agencies and daily oversight from the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection.
“Safety was the number one consideration in the decision to halt operations,” said Johnnie Allen, BGCA civilian executive assistant. “The extended period of area-wide power outages, hazardous road conditions on the installation and unavailability of appropriate support personnel and facilities severely impacted the team’s ability to safely perform the mission, and the operation was therefore temporarily suspended.”
A limited crew is on site to perform maintenance and monitoring of the temporary facility and the filtration units to ensure the safety of the work force and community, according to Stephanie Parrett of the Blue Grass Outreach Office in Richmond.
Operations are expected to be completed in the late February, early March time frame, according to Katherine B. DeWeese, communications and congressional affairs, U.S. Army Element Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives.
Operation Swift Solution is an Army initiative that started operations Nov. 12, 2008, to destroy the contents of three steel containers commonly referred to as “ton containers,” that held a corrosive mixture of the nerve agent GB and its breakdown product.
The work is being performed by Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) operators who are extensively trained and experienced in chemical operations, especially in neutralization and destruction of chemical warfare materiel, DeWeese said.
“Due to the unknowns regarding the nerve agent and its breakdown products in the containers, there were some initial challenges, but they were overcome by rigorous planning, analytical studies and pre-operational testing,” she said.
Operation Swift Solution has been a 24/7 operation since the beginning with the average workday being between 14 and 15 hours.
Visit www.pmacwa.army.mil/ky/swift_solution.htm for previous advisories and additional information.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 6698.
