McConnell voices support for shipping container production facility on grounds of Blue Grass Army Depot
Originally published by WEKU.
A proposal for a shipping container production facility at the Blue Grass Army Depot is being backed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The Senate Republican Leader endorsed the plan during a Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission and Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board meeting Wednesday.
The proposal was one of several outlined in a U.S. Army feasibility study that researched potential reuses for facilities at the depot’s chemical weapons disposal plant.
If approved, the depot would house the production of metal shipping containers meant to help the U.S. Army transport munitions. The study says nearly all such containers are produced in China, and the facility would bolster domestic production.
“We’re working now to lay the groundwork to bring this production here,” McConnell said. “This is not an announcement yet. We don’t know if we’ve completed it, we’re not suggesting the job is complete, but we think that makes sense to come here.”
Craig Williams is the chair of the advisory boards, and says the proposal is in line with what they want to see for the depot’s future.
“There’s already some container operations that go on there that basically use containers that they don’t make at the depot, but they fill with the necessary equipment that go to theaters of operations for the United States Armed Forces,” Williams said.
Williams said that doesn’t rule out other proposed facilities that could operate on depot grounds concurrently, including proposals from private businesses and operations that are government-owned but privately operated.
Depot officials say the destruction of secondary waste at the plant is proceeding on schedule, and expect to finish the process by March of next year.
“We’re refining some of the maintenance outages and things like that, so that our production numbers are actually improving as time goes,” project manager Joe Curcio said.
Out of the remaining stockpile, 44.9 percent of the depot’s drained VX warheads have been destroyed, and 53 percent of the GB warheads have been destroyed. 1,189 workers are still employed at the plant as it continues its closure process.
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Originally published by WEKU.
Republished with permission.
