FROM OPEN TO CLOSED
Determining alternative technology solutions for the Army’s disposal of excess, obsolete and defective munitions.
by James Terhune T
he Department of Defense sustains combat readiness through safe and efficient disposal of excess, obso- lete and defective munitions at a rate sufficient to keep pace with new generations of munitions and to
control overall stockpile growth. Open burning and open deto- nation are critical capabilities to safely accomplish the mission at the required rate to effectively support combat readiness.
In open burning, materials are destroyed by self-sustained combustion after being ignited. In open detonation, explosives and munitions are destroyed by a detonation of added explosive charges. Open detonation is also used in emergency situations to destroy munitions and improvised explosive devices deemed unsafe to move.
Historically, the Army has relied on open burning and open detonation as the most inexpensive processes to demilitarize ammunition. Te demilitarization enterprise enables readiness by reducing unserviceable and obsolete stocks in storage, free- ing up critical storage space for joint service new production, war reserve and training munitions. Demilitarization, commonly called “demil,” reduces life, safety and health risks by remov- ing aging stocks from storage and increases depot capabilities by making room for good service stocks to be properly stored and aligned to operations.
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Over the past 20-plus years, research, development, test and eval- uation investments have been made to further the capabilities of alternative, closed disposal technologies with limited success. Two major projects are the Munitions Cryofracture Demilitar- ization Facility at McAlester Army Ammunition in McAlester, Oklahoma, and the Ammonium Perchlorate Rocket Motor Destruction capability at the Letterkenny Munitions Center in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. A large portion of funds are used to maintain and improve the existing rotary kiln incinerators, which are the primary closed disposal capabilities used at vari- ous organic industrial base locations.
CALL TO ACTION Previous regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided a variance to the prohibition on the open burning of hazardous waste when no alternatives for the safe treat- ment of waste explosives existed.
According to the EPA, recent findings from the National Acad- emies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) have determined that safe alternatives are now available for many ener- getic or explosive waste streams. By waste streams, we mean the gases, liquids or solids that are the byproducts of a demilitarization treatment operation or processes. Because there are safe alterna- tives available and in use today that capture and treat emissions
Army AL&T Magazine
Spring 2024
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