The Blue Grass Army Depot is facing a federal investigation of potential criminal conduct related to chemical weapons storage matters at the Kentucky facility, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported Saturday (see GSN, Jan. 5, 2006).
A grand jury is investigating the matter. The Justice Department in February ordered the depot to "preserve all potentially relevant evidence associated with the grand jury's subpoena on Dec. 1, 2006, and the ongoing criminal investigation."
The Feb. 8 Justice Department letter does not provide details of the alleged wrongdoing.
The investigation relates to treatment of a whistleblower by Blue Grass Chemical Activity, which manages chemical weapons storage at the depot, according to the nonprofit group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
Then-air systems monitor Donald Van Winkle publicly alleged in 2005 that incorrect use of monitoring equipment greatly reduced the likelihood that leaks of VX nerve agent would be detected in storage facilities. Depot officials denied that claim.
Van Winkle said he was transferred to other duties after making his claim, and lost opportunities for training, hazard pay and promotion, the Herald-Leader reported. A depot official said then that Van Winkle had been transferred and was "being investigated for other things."
Van Winkle has since left the depot, but sued to resume work as an air systems monitor.
Three other employees have also complained of misconduct by depot administration. They and Van Winkle were interviewed by Environmental Protection Agency investigators. The investigation ultimately ended up at the Justice Department.
"In general terms, they are talking about a culture at the Blue Grass Army Depot that does not welcome reports of problems and punishes those that point out discrepancies," said PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. "This criminal investigation into problems at Blue Grass is long overdue" (Cassondra Kirby, Lexington Herald-Leader, March 31).