Blue Grass Chemical Agent - Destruction Pilot Plant The Blue Grass Chemical Agent - Destruction Pilot Plant ( BGCAPP ) is a chemical weapons destruction facility under construction . The plant is being built to destroy the chemical weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass Army Depot ( BGAD ) , near Richmond , Kentucky . The plant is dedicated to the destruction of 523 tons of nerve agents sarin ( GB ) and VX , and mustard agent , which constitute about two percent of the United States chemical weapons stockpile . Since 1944 , the U . S . Army has stored approximately two percent of its original chemical weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass Army Depot . Destruction of this stockpile is a requirement of the Chemical Weapons Convention , an international treaty to which the United States is a party . The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention and monitors the progress of the nation ’ s chemical weapons destruction programs . The Program Executive Office , Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives ( PEO ACWA ) oversees the destruction of the Blue Grass chemical weapons stockpile . Planning and organization . A systems contract was awarded in June 2003 to a joint venture team composed of the California companies Bechtel National , Inc . , and Parsons Infrastructure and Technology Group , Inc . The Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass team is contracted to develop a design - build plan and then design , construct , systemize , pilot test , operate and close the Blue Grass Chemical Agent - Destruction Pilot Plant . In March 2005 the design - build - operate - close schedule was extended to make the program more affordable on an annual basis . Site preparation work and the construction of support buildings continued and final designs for the remaining BGCAPP facilities were completed in 2010 . After systemization of the facility , destruction operations are expected to begin in 2020 and to be complete by 2023 . The plant will operate until all the chemical weapons have been destroyed . Closure activities ( shut - down , dismantling , and restoration of site ) are slated to be wrapped up by 2026 . This schedule exceeds the terms of the Chemical Weapons Convention . Legislation enacted by the U . S . Congress in 2007 ( Public Laws 110 - 116 and 110 - 181 ) mandates the destruction of the remaining U . S . national chemical stockpile in accordance with the April 2012 date , but in no circumstances later than Dec . 31 , 2017 . Technology . The Department of Defense conducted studies to evaluate potential impacts of the elimination of these weapons using incineration and non - incineration methods for the plant . Four technologies were considered : The Department of Defense selected neutralization followed by SCWO for use at the depot . The method comprises the following steps : EDT . After an X - ray assessment of the mustard munitions stockpile showed that the agent had significantly solidified in the rounds — making removal of mustard agent from projectiles difficult using neutralization and SCWO — ACWA decided to explore use of Explosive Destruction Technology ( aka Explosive Demolition Technology , Explosive Detonation Technology , EDT ) for these projectiles . EDT uses heat / pressure from explosion or just heat to destroy the munitions ; it is not considered incineration and does not require disassembly of the weapons . There are three general types of technologies that can destroy chemical weapons : Public outreach . The Blue Grass Chemical Stockpile Outreach Office was established to serve as the community ’ s primary information resource on chemical weapons destruction in Kentucky . The office responds to inquiries , provides information materials and coordinates guest speakers for a variety of different civic groups and organizations and interfaces with the governor - appointed Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens ’ Advisory Commission and its Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board .