Lawmakers Demand Safety Improvements at Blue Grass

“Immediate and decisive action” is needed to guarantee that personnel at Kentucky’s Blue Grass Army Depot receive adequate training to prevent a release of dangerous chemical agents, three U.S. lawmakers said yesterday in a letter to the head of the Army Chemical Materials Agency (see GSN, Nov. 5).

The letter follows reports last week that the Army site could face a criminal investigation related to storage of chemical warfare material.  The state Waste Management Division cited the depot for several operating failures, including improper labeling of waste and inadequate employee training on preventing chemical releases into the environment.

“We are gravely concerned by the findings contained within this report.  As you well know, the weapons stored at the depot are among the most lethal in the entire U.S. stockpile and they are located in the heart of the local community.  This is a public safety issue of the highest order; for the local community and for the employees at the depot,” Kentucky Senators Mitch McConnell (R) and Jim Bunning (R) and Representative Ben Chandler (D) said in their message to acting CMA chief Dale Ormond.

“We believe that these findings call for immediate and decisive action on your part.  We believe that you must put in place proper procedures to rectify the situation, as well as take what actions are necessary against any supervisors responsible for these egregious violations,” the letter adds.

The lawmakers also expressed concern about “the culture at the [Blue Grass] Chemical Activity, one that allegedly stifles internal discussion and punishes those who raise concerns about depot safety practices.”  They called on Ormond to prevent retaliation against whistleblowers and dissenters and to ensure that their safety concerns are considered.

“With so much at risk, ‘business as usual’ will not suffice,” the letter states (McConnell release, Nov. 13).

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