The Pine Bluff Arsenal in Arkansas is expected to meet the April 2012 international deadline for disposal of its stockpile of chemical weapons, the Pine Bluff Commercial reported Saturday (see GSN, Dec. 9, 2008).
The Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Facility began operations in March 2005 and in December began its last campaign -- incinerating mustard blister agent, which is set under contract to last three years.
“However, given the successes of the previous three disposal campaigns PBCDF actually began processing the mustard agent ton containers approximately nine months ahead of the contractual schedule,” said disposal facility project manager Mark Greer. “The mustard ton-container disposal campaign ... is expected to be completed by and possibly ahead of the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty deadline of April 29, 2012.”
The Defense Department, though, has acknowledged that it cannot eliminate its full chemical arsenal by that time.
It would take another two years to completely shutter the Pine Bluff disposal plant, said David Reber, project general manager for plant operations contractor Washington Defense Group.
Officials in Pine Bluff are not considering options for extending the service life of the plant, Greer said, referring to a plan offered by two local elected officials to use an incinerator in Anniston, Ala., to destroy chemical weapons stored in other states (see GSN, Jan. 6).
“At this time PBCDF is focused on our mission to safely dispose of the inventory of chemical weapons that is here now,” Greer said. “It is against federal law to transport chemical weapons across state lines.
“Unless Congress changes this law and we receive specific direction from the Department of Defense, it would be speculative for us to comment on or to investigate possible impacts to our disposal mission as a result of bringing in more chemical weapons," he said.
A variety of operations would continue at the Pine Bluff Arsenal after the disposal plant is closed, said commander Col. Bill Barnett. He called the site a "world leader in the design, manufacture and refurbishment of smoke, riot control and incendiary munitions, as well as chemical/biological defense operations items.”
Among the ongoing operations are production of chemical decontamination equipment and refurbishment of decontamination units and shelters for protection against biological and chemical agents, the Commercial reported (Amy Riggin, Pine Bluff Commercial, Jan. 24).