They destroyed chemical weapons at Blue Grass Army Depot, now they’re leaving a gift
A construction company which started destroying the nation’s aging chemical weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass Army Depot in June 2019 will soon be closing its Richmond doors. On Thursday morning, they gave a gift which they hope will leave a lasting legacy — and impact.
The Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass Joint Venture presented a $300,000 donation check to Greg Gerard, president of Baptist Health Richmond, to support growth in its mental health efforts.
This legacy gift will help the hospital grow its mental health resources and direct its mission to be proactive, rather than reactive, by expanding their clinical decision unit.
In July 2023, the hospital opened the Thrive Center, an 11-bed facility inpatient behavioral health service for patients in Madison and surrounding counties. The center provides care for adults ages 18 and older who require hospitalization for behavioral health needs in a medically safe and structured environment.
As of Thursday, the 11 beds are full and mostly with people who have had suicidal thoughts, according to Gerard.
A part of that unit is an outpatient program, the clinical decision unit, which helps refer patients to resources in a private and calm setting away from the hustle and bustle of the emergency department.
“People are hurting in this community,” Gerard said. “This gift is going to continue to reach people before they have to be admitted.”
Ron Hink, the departing project manager of the BPBGJV, said the company was well aware of the affects of mental health. Working in chemical weapons destruction at the height of COVID-19, special focus was given on training employees to recognize stressors, and the best ways to cope.
“We have fostered a safety culture on our project to ensure our workers are protected from harm,” Hink said. “We recognize that mental well-being is just as important as physical health and this donation will make an incredible impact in the work we are doing to improve the mental health in the lives of those in need.”
Hink and Gerard said they hope other businesses will follow their lead to advocate for mental health safety.
“They have to,” Hink said firmly.
When were the chemical weapons at Blue Grass Army Depot destroyed?
The joint venture was the systems contractor selected by the Department of Defense to design, build, systemize, test, operate, and close the facility which destroyed a 523 ton chemical weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass Army Depot. The stockpile destruction was completed on July 7, 2023.
Congress mandated the destruction of the chemical weapons stockpile in 1986. That process began on Johnson Atoll in the Pacific Ocean in 1990 and was completed at other locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Maryland, Oregon and Utah by 2012, according to the Defense Department.
