Don Barclay resumed the role of Site Project Manager (SPM) of the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (UMCDF) on Nov. 1, the same position he held from 2001 through 2008.
Barclay will wear two hats while seeing UMCDF through closure. In addition to this “new” role, Barclay remains the director of the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity (CMA) headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
Barclay became the CMA director in February 2012. CMA completed the safe destruction of nearly 90 percent of the U.S. stockpile of chemical weapons as of 2012 and is now overseeing the closure of demilitarization plants in Arkansas, Alabama and Utah, as well as in Oregon. In addition, CMA continues to safely store the remaining chemical weapons stockpile in Kentucky and Colorado, serves as the implementing agent for the U.S.’ Chemical Weapons Convention responsibilities and leads the team in emergency response as outlined under the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP).
Barclay brings 20 years of chemical demilitarization experience to the job, starting as risk manager for CMA’s Chemical Agent Munitions Disposal System in Utah in 1993. Barclay has returned to the UMCDF role after the retirement of Gary Anderson, who was SPM since the summer of 2010.
UMCDF completed agent operations in October of 2011, after destroying more than 220,000 munitions and 3,720 tons of chemical agent. The plant, where the munitions and agent were destroyed, is being demolished in accordance with its operating permit with the state of Oregon. Closure operations are expected to continue through next year.
