Ground Contamination Assessment Report
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Ground Contamination Assessment Report Military Waste Storage Site, Astana, Afghanistan United Nations Environment Programme Post-Conflict Branch (PCoB) The UNEP Capacity Building and Institutional Development Programme for Environmental Management in Afghanistan is funded by the European Commission and the Government of Finland. Unless otherwise credited, all the photos in this publication have been taken by the UNEP Afghanistan Programme staff. Design and Layout: Rachel Dolores United Nations Environment Programme PO Box 30552 Nairobi Kenya Tel: +254 (0)20 762 1234 Fax: +254 (0)20 762 3927 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.unep.org Contacts for Additional Information: David Jensen, Project Coordinator Dr. Asif Zaidi, Programme Manager United Nations Environment Programme United Nations Environment Programme Post-Conflict Branch Post-Conflict Branch International Environment House National Environmental Protection Agency Geneva, Switzerland Darulaman, Kabul, Afghanistan Tel. +41 22 917 8167 Tel 1: +93 799 325 678 Fax. +41 22 917 8064 Tel 2: +93 70 276 431 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Web: http://postconflict.unep.ch Web: http://postconflict.unep.ch Table of Contents 1.Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Overview and scope of the project ........................................................................ 4 1.2 Structure and purpose of this document ................................................................ 4 2. Site Description and Status ............................................................................................... 5 2.1 Site location ........................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Site history ............................................................................................................... 7 2.3 Site description ....................................................................................................... 8 3. Natural Site Characteristics .............................................................................................. 9 3.1 Geology.................................................................................................................. 9 3.2 Hydrogeology ......................................................................................................... 9 3.3 Hydrology ............................................................................................................... 9 4. Chemicals, Toxicology and Radioactivity ...................................................................... 10 4.1 Overview ............................................................................................................... 10 4.2 Hydrazine compounds ......................................................................................... 10 4.3 Nitric acid ............................................................................................................. 11 4.4 Unexploded ordnance ......................................................................................... 11 4.5 Radioactive materials ........................................................................................... 11 5. Site Assessment Activities ................................................................................................ 13 5.1 Desk-based assessment ........................................................................................ 13 5.2 Investigation methodology and environmental sampling .................................... 13 5.3 Laboratory analysis .............................................................................................. 14 5.4 Ground contamination screening assessment ..................................................... 14 5.5 Soil quality ............................................................................................................ 15 5.6 Water quality ........................................................................................................ 16 6. Qualitative Risk Assessment ............................................................................................ 17 6.1 General ................................................................................................................ 17 6.2 Potential risk sources ............................................................................................. 17 6.3 Potential risk pathways .......................................................................................... 17 6.4 Environmental and human receptors ................................................................... 17 6.5 Risk rating ............................................................................................................. 17 6.6 Discussion of potential risks ................................................................................... 17 6.7 Summary of risks ................................................................................................... 20 7. Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 22 7.1 General ................................................................................................................ 22 7.2 Short-term risk reductionmeasures ........................................................................ 22 7.3 Short- to medium-term actions ............................................................................. 24 8. Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 27 Appendix A: Generic Assessment Criteria .......................................................................... 28 Appendix B: Explosive Compounds ................................................................................... 30 Appendix C: Laboratory Test Results ................................................................................... 31 Appendix D: Figures ........................................................................................................... 34 Appendix E: References ..................................................................................................... 42 Appendix F: Notes .............................................................................................................. 43 Appendix G: Contributors ................................................................................................... 44 1. Introduction 1.1 Overview and scope 1.2 Structure and purpose of the project of this document In November 2005, the United Nations Environment This technical report outlines the findings of an Programme (UNEP) was approached by the initial site inspection by UNEP in November 2005, Afghanistan New Beginnings Programme (ANBP) to and the results of an intrusive ground investigation undertake a preliminary assessment of a military performed in April 2006 to characterize the potential storage site located near Astana, a small village environmental and health risks associated with in the Panjshir Valley. This initial site visit led to a the storage of military materials and hazardous request from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the substances at the Astana site. Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to further assess the potential environmental It provides a description of the site conditions, a and health risks associated with the storage of summary and rationale for the fieldwork that was hazardous substances at Astana. The MoD also carried out, factual records, and an interpretation sought assistance from UNEP in dealing with any of the laboratory analyses. This document also sets unacceptable risks to the environment and human out a series of recommendations to mitigate the health. This report documents the assessment of identified environmental and health risks linked to those risks. the ongoing use of the site for grazing livestock. This project, which was managed by UNEP representatives based in Kabul and overseen by the UNEP Post-Conflict Branch in Geneva, comprised: • the investigation and characterization of hazardous substances stored on the subject site; • the assessment of potential environmental and health risks associated with the storage of hazardous wastes, and the communication of these risks to the relevant stakeholders; and • the development of pragmatic recommendations for remedial action. The project also included capacity-building for representatives from the Afghan National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) on the assessment of potentially contaminated land and standard procedures used to sample soil and water. Ground Contamination Assessment Report 2. Site Description missiles, and approximately 32 warhead casings. and Status Several casings were partially buried by the gradual movement of sediment down the slope of the mountain, suggesting there may be additional 2.1 Site location warheads buried in this areai. The subject site is an open and undeveloped While most were sealed, many casings were not, parcel of land in Astana, a small village situated exposing an estimated 150 kg warhead placed in the Panjshir Valley, in the Parwan Province of inside a protective wood cradle. It was not Afghanistan. Covering a total area of approximately possible to confirm whether each sealed casing six hectares, the site extends north from the base actually contained a warhead. A small