Citizens Review Support Study Collection

The Lexington-Bluegrass Army depot (LBAD) was created in the early 1940s.  It was not until the mid-1960s that the Army started storing nerve agent weapons at the site.  Nerve gas is a general term used to refer to several chemical compounds developed as military weapons.  These compounds are among the deadliest toxins known.  Nerve agent has been incorporated into a variety of weapons, including bombs, artillery shells, land mines, spray tanks and M55 rockets.  Nerve gas is stored at eight sites in the United States; also on the Johnston Atoll in the Pacific and in West Germany. Congress deemed it necessary to destroy the United States chemical weapons stockpile because of growing concerns of the stability of the weapons.  In February 1984, the Army announced plans to build nerve gas incinerators. The Concerned Citizens of Madison County formed in response to the Army’s briefing.  June of 1984, Congressman Hopkins appointed “Madison County Task Force” to study the Army’s proposal. Three years later, in January 1987, the Community Review Support study, signed a contract with the Army to research the plans of incineration, headed by Dr. Oris Blackwell [academic department at EKU].  After intense study, the CRSS recommends air transport of the Bluegrass stockpile to Tooele, Utah (which houses 46% of the nation’s chemical stockpile compared to the Bluegrass's 1.6%). In February 1989, the Army announced plans to build incinerators at all eight sites, including the Bluegrass Army Depot (BAD).  Of the eight sites, the Bluegrass depot is the smallest and is located in the most densely populated area.