RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Blue Grass Army Depot destroyed the last of the United States’ chemical weapon arsenal on Friday, according to Senator Mitch McConnell.
Agents like mustard and sarin nerve, a deadly toxin, have been housed at the facility in Richmond since the 1940s.
It wasn’t until 2019 that the Blue Grass Army Depot began destroying the more than 500 tons of lethal chemical agents through a process called neutralization.
Initially, the Army planned to incinerate the chemical weapons. Local activists spent years fighting their plans. Eventually, an alternative method to dismantle the stockpiles was adopted.
“We were always in favor of disposal. The question was always, ‘How do you do it in a way that affords maximum protection to the workforce, community, and environment?’” said Craig Williams, a member of the Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board.
Under the Chemical Weapons Convention Treaty, which took effect in the 1990s, the weapons had to be destroyed by September 30, 2023.
After destroying the last rocket on Friday, the U.S. is more than two months ahead of schedule.
For Williams, who attended the first community meeting nearly 40 years ago, Friday’s news was a long time coming.
“Eventually, our efforts prevailed, and we got them to deploy a controlled, non-emissive technology to get rid of these very dangerous munitions,” said Williams.
In a statement shared Friday, Senator McConnell said, “Chemical weapons are responsible for some of the most horrific episodes of human loss. Though the use of these deadly agents will always be a stain on history, today our Nation has finally fulfilled our promise to rid our arsenal of this evil.”
For the local activist, who’s spent decades fighting for the safe dismantling of the Blue Grass Depot stockpile, today is a win on every level.
“We’ll meet safety and environmental objectives, we’ll allow the U.S. to meet a treaty alliance, and it will allow me to play a little more golf and concentrate on my gardening,” said Williams.
