A federal grand jury ended its inquiry into alleged misconduct at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky without issuing any indictments, the Richmond Register reported yesterday (see GSN, April 2, 2007).
The probe was sparked in 2006 by claims from former employees of violations of safety guidelines in the storage of chemical weapons at the facility. Among the allegations were a failure to conduct adequate monitoring for the potential escape of chemical warfare materials and improper management of wastewater.
The grand jury also investigated possible falsification of records, the watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibilities said in 2007.
The panel ultimately found that the claims were not supported by the evidence, the depot said in a press release.
“This result leads to helping allay public concerns over the procedures used to safeguard the chemical weapons stockpile at this installation,” sad Col. Joseph Tirone, depot commander.
A Labor Department administrative law judge chose not to hear the cases of two former employees who said they lost their jobs after raising the safety issues. One employee has already lost an appeal of the decision while the other is awaiting a decision (Bill Robinson, Richmond Register, April 15).