Pueblo Chemical Depot commander suspended amid investigation
Tracy Harmon
U.S. Army Col. Jason A. Lacroix, who has been in charge of the Pueblo Chemical Depot for nearly two years, has been suspended from his duties amid an ongoing investigation.
“Col. Jason Lacroix has been suspended from his position as the commander of Pueblo Chemical Depot pending the results of an internal investigation,” said Justine Barati, chief of public and congressional affairs for the U.S. Army’s Joint Munitions Command. “Sheila Johnson, deputy commander of Pueblo Chemical Depot, is now in charge.”
The suspension occurred earlier this month. Barati said the plant is operating at normal capacity.
The information about Lacroix's suspension was released after the Pueblo Chieftain made a records request through the Freedom of Information Act. Information about the nature of the investigation was not provided, so its focus is unclear.
Lacroix began his tenure as the 39th commander of the Pueblo Chemical Depot for the U.S. Army on June 24, 2021.
Workers at the Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant have been destroying mustard agent projectiles left over from World War II since 2020. The site employs about 2,000 workers, most of whom work for the project management company Bechtel Inc.
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Workers are expected to complete the destruction of the mustard agent munitions by the end of September.
Prior to serving in Pueblo, Lacroix was a senior military adviser for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. He holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Rhode Island and a master's of military science degree from the Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia, according to a Pueblo Chemical Depot Facebook post.
Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email attharmon@chieftain.com or via Twitter attwitter.com/tracywumps.