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Work at Pueblo Estimated at $70 Million in 2006
Construction and related work at the Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado is expected to cost as much as $70 million this year, the Pueblo Chieftain reported (see GSN, Jan. 31). Funding for the work will come from money budgeted for the current fiscal 2006, along with funds anticipated for fiscal 2007, which begins in October, said Gary Anderson, local manager for the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternative program. The Defense Department has not approved long-term plans for construction of chemical weapons neutralization plants at Pueblo and the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky. Work on those projects was stopped following Pentagon complaints that projected costs had far exceeded earlier estimates. Officials said work at Pueblo would cost $1 billion more than anticipated and stopped operations in 2004. This followed an order issued after Sept. 11, 2001, to speed work because of terrorism fears. The Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternative program and contractor Bechtel have has been preparing a redesigned facility that is expected to be approved this year. Until then, work is being done to ready the sites. For example, Bechtel has hired a firm to build a new entrance to Pueblo. Contracts totaling $15 to $20 million to clear land, pave roads and work on underground utilities are expected to be issued by the end of July, Anderson said. In September, contracts are to be issued for construction of a warehouse, controlled access point, a warehouse, a laboratory and utility buildings at Pueblo. This work is expected to cost between $40 and $50 million, Anderson said, and will be paid for by leftover fiscal 2006 funds and money from fiscal 2007. The Bush administration in its 2007 budget request asks for $362 million for Pueblo and Blue Grass, with $130 million set aside for construction, according to the Chieftain (John Norton, Pueblo Chieftain, Feb. 24). A $2 million laundry facility at Blue Grass is the first step toward weapons destruction there, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported last week. “This is the first tangible thing we've seen. I'm excited about it,” said Army Lt. Col. George Shuplinkov. The building is to be used to issue, clean and fix protective clothing worn by workers at the neutralization facility. Shuplinkov would not say when other buildings at the planned weapons disposal site would be built, as it depends greatly on federal funding. He said work was delayed in 2005 due to the inability to cut down several trees to build a road. He said the trees have since been removed. “We're back on track. ... This is going to happen,” he said (Steve Lannen, Lexington Herald-Leader, Feb. 24).
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