Blue Grass Chemical Activity’s mission is to ensure the safe and secure storage of the chemical weapons stockpile until demilitarization is complete. The stockpile at Blue Grass is contained on 250 acres on the Blue Grass Army Depot, located in the rolling hills of central Kentucky. Blue Grass Chemical Activity is a tenant activity on the 15,000 acre Depot.
Blue Grass Chemical Activity is a subordinate unit of the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity (CMA) headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. CMA is part of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.
The chemical weapons at Blue Grass were received as far back as 1944. The majority of the nerve agent weapons arrived in the mid-60s. All weapons are stored securely in earth-covered bunkers called igloos. Designed specifically to protect their contents from external factors such as storms, lightning and other weather-related events, the igloos are equipped with a rear vent and a dual lightning protection system. Aside from a 24/7 guard force, there are a number of other physical and electronic safeguards that protect this stockpile.
An Emergency Operations Center is manned continuously by highly trained technicians. The likelihood of an accident is remote, and the stockpile is surrounded by numerous meteorological towers reporting to the Emergency Operations Center. Work plans are produced each day before any work is done. Should meteorological hazard predictions indicate a potential for airborne chemical agent to migrate off-post in the case of an accident, the work plan is altered to exclude that specific task. Work plans are communicated to both the Madison County and Commonwealth of Kentucky Emergency Operations Centers so that all emergency response activities know what is happening with the Blue Grass chemical weapons stockpile at all times.