A ceremony was held September 12, 2024, to mark the deactivation of the U.S. Army Pueblo Chemical Depot, which cased its colors, marking the final chapter in its storied, 82-year presence in Pueblo, Colorado.
Col. Rodney McCutcheon, the depot’s 40th and final commander, presided over the ceremony, which was attended by elected officials, depot alumni, and community members.
In the decades of handling and storing chemical weapons, the depot has not recorded a serious injury or fatality. PCD’s environmental record is also flawless with no major environmental incidents, mishaps or failures.
The depot, encompassing 23,000 acres, was designed and constructed during World War II in 1942 to store and ship ammunition and general military supplies. After World War II, the depot’s workshops were remodeled and expanded for remanufacturing a variety of materiel, including tanks and combat vehicles. Pueblo Chemical Depot has helped supply the American warfighter in every major conflict up until the Gulf War in 1991.
Adopted in 1992 and ratified in 1997, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), a multilateral treaty, banned the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, transfer and use of chemical weapons. It also required the destruction of all existing chemical weapons and related production facilities.
“The successful destruction of the chemical weapons at PCD, stored here since the 1950s, demonstrates our adherence and commitment to its CWC obligations and contributes to global chemical weapons disarmament efforts,” said McCutcheon. “The dedication, diligence and resolve of the workforce here has been the nucleus of mission completion at PCD.”
To mitigate separations under a reduction in force (RIF), the Depot’s leadership put a specialized transition office into effect, which has assisted PCD employees in finding federal employment positions, private sector jobs and accessing retirement services. Initially, when the RIF package was submitted early this year, 251 employees were identified with a notice of separation effective Sept. 16. As of Aug. 20, only seven individuals remain for placement.
“The Transition Office has had a tremendous impact on the PCD Workforce and the assistance that we provided to each employee has been effective in transitioning our folks into new positions,” said Lisa Dyer, Transition Workforce Specialist. “By having an office whose sole responsibility is the transition of the workforce, it’s telling employees that leadership cares about them, their families and their future well-being. Leadership fully supports the Transition Office and ensures that they have the support they need to be successful,” she said.
The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP), a tenant of the depot, completed destruction of the stockpile of 780,089 chemical weapons stored at PCD June 22, 2023 – a landmark occasion lauded by local, state, national and international leaders.
The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant is currently in the closure phase, which will take approximately three years. Plant closure involves the decontamination and decommissioning of facilities and equipment, disposition of property, demolition of facilities not required for future U.S. Army use, and closure of government contracts and environmental permits in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
This effort will be supported by Chemical Materials Activity-West, which will be led by Ms. Sheila Johnson. CMA-West will provide life, health and safety support to ongoing PCAPP operations until all conditions have been met for turnover to Base Realignment and Closure and eventually to the local redevelopment authority, PuebloPlex.
“We’re excited to assist in writing the epilogue to the remarkable achievements of this installation and support PCAPP in their efforts,” said Johnson. “While we recognize that closing PCD is bittersweet, the sentiment here is a triumphant testament to the multitude of people and organizations that made this monumental endeavor a success.”
