Improving the Environmental Safety of Munitions Disposal by OB and OD

摘要

Burning and detonating in an open area (OB, OD) and more recently, detonating underground (buried-OD), are the traditional methods for disposing of UXO and surplus or%unserviceable energetic materials. Some countries prohibit OB and OD activities entirely and others, such as the U.S., restrict them. In the U.S., the disposal of energetic materials by OB and OD is regulated under Subpart X of Part 264 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.. A Subpart X permit is required to conduct OB and OD because of concerns about: (1) the extent to which the energetic material is converted to innocuous chemicals; (2) the toxicities and dispersion in the environment of the ash, soil and chemical pollutants released; and (3) the blast noise. Because of these concerns the Subpart X permits that have been issued are very restrictive, particularly regarding the quantities that can be destroyed at one time, and over a specified period of time. Unfortunately, at many Subpart X permits require the facility to bury the munitions under one to three meters of soil before they are detonated. While this mitigates the blast noise, as will be shown later in this paper, it increases substantially the quantities of pollutants released.