President Biden on Friday afternoon sent out a communication saying the U-S had destroyed the last of its declared chemical weapons stockpile. The global effort to rid the world of chemical munitions reached a milestone with the conclusion of nerve and mustard agent destruction at the Bluegrass Army Depot.
In the 1980 s, the Army proposed incinerating more than 500 tons of chemical weapons stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot. A significant public outcry followed and the eventual disposal method used was neutralization, which dilutes the deadly agents. Berea Mayor Bruce Fraley grew up in the area, knowing lethal munitions were just a few miles away.
“There probably was a certain level of anxiety, especially from environmentally conscious people I think but, it’s almost like it became a way of life. You knew it was there. We were kind of stuck with it. And you learned to live with it,” said Fraley.
Demilitarization officials and thousands of workers beat the international chemical weapons eradication deadline by a few months. Now the focus will be on disposing of residual agent in drained warheads, decontaminating the site, and retaining jobs. Madison County Judge Executive Reagan Taylor says retaining jobs remains a key issue.
“To figure out how we’re going to offset these jobs with new jobs or people that no longer have a job at the Blue Grass Army Depot with the demil plant and making the transition over to another industry, a comparable industry that meets their skills and expertise,” said Taylor
Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Site Project Manager Candace Coyle has said the job loss will be relatively minimal in the short term. Decontamination and dismantling work is expected to take three to four years.
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