EPA awards Army Pueblo Chemical Depot in Pueblo County for ‘outstanding’ work

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Army Pueblo Chemical Depot facility in Pueblo County was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency this week with the "National Notable Achievement Award."

The honor specifically recognizes the Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division’s work to safely destroy chemical weapons.

“I’m proud of the work this team has done to help safely dispose of these chemical weapons,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the state health department.

Hunsaker went on to say that destroying chemical weapons is highly complex and requires a lot of teamwork.

The depot has static detonation chambers that are armored, stainless steel vessels that safely incinerate munitions. Those operations began on Feb. 19 of this year and the entire stockpile of weapons at the facility is set to be destroyed by the end of next year.