The Pine Bluff Arsenal opened its transition office for hundreds of employees who will lose their jobs when the arsenal finishes destroying its chemical weapons. The goal of the office is to help employees find a job after the incineration is finished.
In a little over a year the arsenal should be done with the incineration process which began in 2005. Since 2005, arsenal employees have incinerated 120,000 lethal chemical nerve agents without employee injury or threat to the community.
Col. Franz Amann says, "We're well ahead of our plan, 2012, as is required by the treaty."
By December of 2010, 13 months away, if everything goes according to plan, all chemical weapons will be incinerated. Complete closure of the building won't take place until 2012.
Once all of the chemical weapons are destroyed the arsenal will manufacture munitions for the U.S. Army.
The state of Arkansas and the Arkansas Workforce Center made the transition office possible. All employees directly affected by the incineration process coming to a close will be eligible for a $10,000 educational grant.
