Review Criteria for Successful Treatment of Hydrolysate at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant

In 1993, the United States signed the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), an international treaty outlawing the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons.

The chemical weapons stockpiles at five of the U.S. chemical weapons storage sites have now been destroyed.

At those sites, the munitions were robotically opened and the chemical agent was removed, collected, and incinerated. One of the remaining sites with chemical weapons stockpiles is the Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond, Kentucky.

In this case, caustic hydrolysis will be used to destroy the agents and energetics, resulting in a secondary waste stream known as hydrolysate.

Review Criteria for Successful Treatment of Hydrolysate at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant develops criteria for successfully treating the hydrolysate, identifies systemization data that should factor into the criteria/decision process, suggests potential modifications to suggested treatment that would allow continued onsite processing, and assesses waste disposal procedures.

This study further examines the possibility of delay or failure of the existing technology and examines possible alternatives to onsite treatment. Table of ContentsFront MatterSummary1 Introduction2 The Supercritical Water Oxidation and Water Recovery SystemProcesses Planned for Use at the Blue Grass Chemical AgentDestruction Pilot Plant3 Stakeholder Interests and Issues4 Regulatory Requirements for Offsite Hydrolysate Shipment andTreatment5 Transportation of Chemical Materials6 Hydrolysate Treatment Criteria for Success and Decision Framework7 Underperformance and Failure Risks, Systemization, andContingency OptionsAppendixesAppendix A: Chronology of Events at the Blue Grass Army Depot tothe Present, With Focus on Public InvolvementAppendix B: Public Interest and Input DocumentsAppendix C: Biographical Sketches of Committee MembersAppendix D: Committee Activities