Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility workers have destroyed all but four tenths of one percent of the chemical weapons stored in the city since the 1950s.

As operations at the incinerator wind down, Army officials said efforts are under way to transfer equipment from the Anniston Army Depot property to a chemical demilitarization site in Richmond, Ky.

In a press release, Army spokesman Mike Abrams said government and Westinghouse employees helped to move 20 Enhanced On-Site Containers out of the chemical munitions storage area this week.

“The empty containers have been moved to a nearby staging area where final preparations will take place before they begin what will be a 370-mile trip north to Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond, Ky.,” Abrams said in the release. “Eventually, 30 of the large containers will be transferred to Kentucky to support future chemical munitions disposal operations there.”

An empty container weighs approximately 20,000 pounds and costs $300,000, the release stated.

Incinerator workers had by Thursday processed a total of 659,345 — or 99.6 percent — of Anniston’s chemical weapons stockpile.

Army officials have indicated they expect for the chemical burn to end sometime in September.

Star staff writer Cameron Steele: 256-235-3562.