Pueblo Chemical Depot has plan in place for worst case emergencies

Chemical weapon destruction started Wednesday at the Pueblo Chemical Depot.

It’s all part of a treaty signed in 1997 by the U.S. to ban chemical weapons.

In case there is an emergency at the depot when destroying the weapons, a plan is in place by the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Army.

The two agencies invested more than 20 years and $60 million to create The Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program.

In a worst case scenario, Sheriff’s Office Communications Manager Lisa Shorter said alarms would sound off, emergency telephone notification calls would be sent out, the towns of Avondale and Boone, since they are close to the depot, could be evacuated, and the Emergency Operations Center would be put into use until the problem is over.

“It’s important that everyone be ready for any type of emergency. If anything happens on post, it is ultimately a hazardous materials incident,” she said.

Shorter said even in a worst case scenario, the cities of Pueblo and Colorado Springs would not be affected.

For more information regarding the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program, click here.