Handbook on the Management of Ordnance and Explosives at Closed, Transferring, and Transferred Ranges and Other Sites INTERIM FINAL February 2002 This page intentionally left blank. Disclaimer This handbook provides guidance to EPA staff. The document does not substitute for EPA’s statutes or regulations, nor is it a regulation itself. Thus, it cannot impose legally binding requirements on EPA, States, or the regulated community, and may not apply to a particular situation based upon the circumstances. This handbook is an Interim Final document and allows for future revisions as applicable. This page intentionally left blank. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 GLOSSARY OF TERMS ...................................................... ix 3 ACRONYMS ............................................................... xix 4 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................... 1-1 5 1.1 Overview...................................................... 1-1 6 1.2 The Common Nomenclature ....................................... 1-2 7 1.3 Organization of This Handbook .................................... 1-4 8 2.0 REGULATORY OVERVIEW ........................................... 2-1 9 2.1 Regulatory Overview............................................. 2-2 10 2.1.1 Defense Environmental Restoration Program .................... 2-2 11 2.1.2 CERCLA ................................................ 2-3 12 2.1.3 CERCLA Section 120 ...................................... 2-6 13 2.1.4 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) ............... 2-6 14 2.1.5 Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) ......... 2-8 15 2.2 Conclusion..................................................... 2-9 16 3.0 CHARACTERISTICS OF ORDNANCE AND EXPLOSIVES .................. 3-1 17 3.1 Overview of Explosives........................................... 3-1 18 3.1.1 History of Explosives in the United States ...................... 3-1 19 3.1.2 Classification of Military Energetic Materials ................... 3-5 20 3.1.3 Classification of Explosives .................................. 3-6 21 3.2 Sources of Hazards from Explosives, Munition Constituents, and Release 22 Mechanisms................................................... 3-11 23 3.2.1 Hazards Associated with Common Types of Munitions ........... 3-11 24 3.2.2 Areas Where OE Is Found .................................. 3-13 25 3.2.3 Release Mechanisms for OE ................................ 3-14 26 3.2.4 Chemical Reactivity of Explosives ........................... 3-14 27 3.3 Sources and Nature of the Potential Hazards Posed by Conventional 28 Munitions..................................................... 3-15 29 3.3.1 Probability of Detonation as a Function of Fuze Characteristics .... 3-15 30 3.3.2 Types of Explosive Hazards ................................ 3-17 31 3.3.3 Factors Affecting Potential for Ordnance Exposure to Human 32 Activity ................................................ 3-18 33 3.3.4 Depth of OE ............................................. 3-19 34 3.3.5 Environmental Factors Affecting Decomposition of OE ........... 3-21 35 3.3.6 Explosives-Contaminated Soils .............................. 3-22 36 3.4 Toxicity and Human Health and Ecological Impacts of Explosives and Other 37 Munition Constituents ........................................... 3-23 Table of Contents iii December 2001 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) 2 3.5 Other Sources of Conventional Munition Constituents .................. 3-28 3 3.5.1 Open Burning/Open Detonation (OB/OD) ..................... 3-28 4 3.5.2 Explosives Manufacturing and Demilitarization ................. 3-29 5 3.6 Conclusions................................................... 3-29 6 4.0 DETECTION OF UXO AND BURIED MUNITIONS ........................ 4-1 7 4.1 Introduction .................................................... 4-1 8 4.2 Selection of the Geophysical Detection System ........................ 4-3 9 4.2.1 Geophysical Sensors in Use Today ............................ 4-3 10 4.2.2 Selection of the Geophysical Detection System .................. 4-5 11 4.2.3 UXO Detection System Components .......................... 4-6 12 4.2.4 Costs of UXO Detection Systems ............................. 4-8 13 4.2.5 Quality Assurance/Quality Control ............................ 4-8 14 4.3 Emerging UXO Detection Systems .................................. 4-8 15 4.3.1 Advanced EMI Systems ..................................... 4-9 16 4.3.2 Airborne Detection ........................................ 4-9 17 4.4 Use of Processing and Modeling To Discriminate UXO ................ 4-10 18 4.5 UXO Detection Demonstration Programs ........................... 4-12 19 4.5.1 Jefferson Proving Ground Technology Demonstration Program .... 4-12 20 4.5.2 Former Fort Ord Ordnance Detection and Discrimination Study 21 (ODDS) ................................................ 4-15 22 4.5.3 UXO Technology Standardized Demonstration Sites ............. 4-16 23 4.6 Fact Sheets and Case Studies on Detection Technologies and Systems ..... 4-16 24 4.7 Conclusion.................................................... 4-17 25 5.0 RESPONSE TECHNOLOGIES .......................................... 5-1 26 5.1 Treatment and Disposal of OE: An Overview.......................... 5-3 27 5.1.1 Handling OE Safely ........................................ 5-5 28 5.1.2 Render-Safe Procedures ..................................... 5-6 29 5.2 Treatment of OE ................................................ 5-6 30 5.2.1 Open Burning and Open Detonation ........................... 5-6 31 5.2.2 Alternative Treatment Technologies ........................... 5-8 32 5.3 Treatment of Soils That Contain Reactive and/or Ignitable Compounds .... 5-12 33 5.3.1 Biological Treatment Technologies ........................... 5-12 34 5.3.2 Soil Washing ............................................ 5-17 35 5.3.3 Wet Air Oxidation ........................................ 5-18 36 5.3.4 Low-Temperature Thermal Desorption ........................ 5-18 37 5.4 Decontamination of Equipment and Scrap ........................... 5-19 38 5.5 Safe Deactivation of Energetic Materials and Beneficial Use of Byproducts . 5-20 39 5.6 Conclusion.................................................... 5-20 40 Table of Contents iv December 2001 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) 2 6.0 EXPLOSIVES SAFETY................................................ 6-1 3 6.1 Introduction to DoD Explosives Safety Requirements and the DoD Explosives 4 Safety Board (DDESB)........................................... 6-1 5 6.2 Explosives Safety Requirements.................................... 6-3 6 6.2.1 General Safety Rules ....................................... 6-4 7 6.2.2 Transportation and Storage Requirements ....................... 6-4 8 6.2.3 Quantity-Distance (Q-D) Requirements ........................ 6-5 9 6.2.4 Protective Measures for UXO/EOD Personnel ................... 6-6 10 6.2.5 Emergency Response and Contingency Procedures ............... 6-6 11 6.2.6 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) .......................... 6-7 12 6.2.7 Personnel Standards ........................................ 6-7 13 6.2.8 Assessment Depths ........................................ 6-8 14 6.2.9 Land Use Controls ......................................... 6-9 15 6.3 Managing Explosives Safety...................................... 6-11 16 6.3.1 Site Safety and Health Plans ................................ 6-11 17 6.3.2 Explosives Safety Submissions for OE Response Actions ......... 6-13 18 6.3.3 Explosives Safety Submission Requirements ................... 6-14 19 6.4 Public Education About UXO Safety ............................... 6-17 20 6.5 Conclusion.................................................... 6-19 21 7.0 SITE/RANGE CHARACTERIZATION AND RESPONSE .................... 7-1 22 7.1 Overview of Elements of OE Site Characterization ..................... 7-2 23 7.2 Overview of Systematic Planning................................... 7-3 24 7.3 Stage 1: Establishing the Goal(s) of the Investigation................... 7-4 25 7.3.1 Establishing the Team ...................................... 7-4 26 7.3.2 Establishing the Goals of the Site Characterization Process ......... 7-5 27 7.4 Stage 2: Preparing for the Investigation: Gathering Information To Design a 28 Conceptual Site Model and Establishing Sampling and Analysis Objectives . 7-6 29 7.4.1 The Conceptual Site Model (CSM) ............................ 7-6 30 7.4.2 Preliminary Remediation Goals ............................... 7-9 31 7.4.3 Assessment of Currently Available Information To Determine Data 32 Needs.................................................. 7-12 33 7.4.4 Project Schedule, Milestones, Resources, and Regulatory 34 Requirements............................................ 7-16 35 7.4.5 Identification of Remedial Objectives ......................... 7-18 36 7.4.6 The Data Quality Objectives of the Investigation ................ 7-19 37 7.4.7 Documentation of the CSM ................................. 7-21 38 7.5 Stage 3: Designing the Sampling and Analysis Effort .................. 7-22 39 7.5.1 Identification of Appropriate Detection Technologies ............ 7-24 40 7.5.2 UXO Detection Methods ................................... 7-25 41 7.6 Methodologies for Identifying OE Areas ............................ 7-27 42 7.6.1 Operational Analysis of Munitions Activities ................... 7-27 43 7.6.2 Use of Statistically Based Methodologies To Identify UXO ....... 7-28 Table of Contents v December 2001 1 TABLE