Military Munitions/Unexploded Ordnance

• Overview
• EPA Policy & Guidance
• DoD Policy & Guidance
• Additional Information

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Overview

Historically, millions of acres of former munitions ranges were transferred from the military to be used for other purposes. These properties are formerly used defense sites (FUDS) or property transferred by the past five rounds of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) (i.e., 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2005). The Department of Defense (DoD) is currently working to further define the inventory of sites and acreage that are potentially contaminated with military munitions and to prioritize these sites for cleanup. Environmental regulators overseeing response actions dealing with military munitions have an independent authority and/or responsibility to evaluate the public safety and environmental aspects of these response actions.

While some sites are fairly small, others may cover dozens or even hundreds of square miles in area. Ranges or other sites contaminated with military munitions may potentially have soil, ground water and surface water contamination from munitions residues (including explosives and heavy metals, and at a small number of sites, chemical warfare agents or depleted uranium). These residues may derive from partially detonated and decomposing ordnance and explosives from training activities, flares, smoke grenades, open burning and open detonation disposal activities, munitions burial sites, weapons testing or other military activities. Of course, the potential for premature detonation of the munitions is generally the principal concern during initial response actions.

Fatalities and severe injuries have resulted from citizens accidentally exposed to military munitions or from people deliberately removing military munitions for souvenirs or other use. A number of chemical exposures with associated health effects have also been reported, some related to chemical warfare agents.
 

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EPA Munitions Policy and Guidance

• Munitions Response Guidelines (OSWER Directive 9200.1-101) – July 27, 2010

• EPA Federal Facilities Forum Issue Paper: Site Characterization for Munitions Constituents
  This paper provides remedial project managers and other federal, state, and private personnel working on hazardous waste sites the technical information needed to make decisions regarding the nature of energetic residues on Department of Defense training ranges (and other munitions sites, such as Formerly Used Defense Sites), sampling strategies that provide representative samples, and analytical methods developed to characterize these samples.

• Federal Facilities Forum Fact Sheet: Site Characterization for Munitions Constituents
  This fact sheet provides a summary of the "Site Characterization for Munitions Constituents" issue paper (see above).

• Interim Munitions and Explosives of Concern Hazard Assessment (MEC HA) Methodology Document
  In spring 2004, EPA convened a work group with other federal agencies, states, and tribal participants to develop a hazard assessment methodology for munitions response sites. The methodology is intended to be used in the CERCLA process to help project teams evaluate current or baseline explosive safety hazards to people, as well as the relative reduction in hazards associated with CERCLA removal and remedial action alternatives.

• Munitions and Explosives of Concern Hazard Assessment (MEC HA) Methodology Technical Work Group (TWG)

• Handbook on the Management of Munitions Response Actions - May 2005

• Military Munitions Rule: Hazardous Waste Identification and Management; Explosives Emergencies; Manifest Exemption for Transport of Hazardous Waste on Right-of-Ways on Contiguous Properties (Final Rule) (PDF) (21 pp, 45 K, About PDF)
  EPA finalized regulations that clarify when conventional and chemical military munitions become a hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). This rule amends existing regulations regarding emergency responses and RCRA manifest requirements.

• Recommendations for EPA Regional Offices on Preliminary Assessments and Site Inspections for the Department of Defense Military Munitions Response Program (OSWER Directive 9200.3-60) - April 5, 2010

• DoD and EPA Management Principles for Implementing Response Actions at Closed, Transferring, and Transferred (CTT) Ranges - March 7, 2000

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Department of Defense (DoD) Munitions Policy and Guidance

• Munitions Response Site Prioritization Protocol (Final Rule) | PDF Version (39 pp, 2.1 MB, About PDF)

• DoD Munitions Response Site Inventory

• Definitions Related to Munitions Response Actions - December 18, 2003

• DoD Explosives Safety

• Defense Science Board

  • Report of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Clearance, Active Range UXO Clearance, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Programs (PDF) (48 pp, 2.9 MB, About PDF) - April 1998

• US Army Corps of Engineers

• UXO Safety

• Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP): Munitions Response Track  

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Additional Information Resources

Government Accountability Office (GAO) Munitions-related Reports

• DOD Operational Ranges: More Reliable Cleanup Cost Estimates and a Proactive Approach to Identifying Contamination Are Needed (PDF) (54 pp, 6.1 MB, About PDF) - May 2004

• Military Munitions: DOD Needs to Develop a Comprehensive Approach for Cleaning Up Contaminated Sites (PDF) (36 pp, 1.6 MB, About PDF) - December 2003

• Military Training: DOD Lacks a Comprehensive Plan to Manage Encroachment on Training Ranges (PDF) (48 pp, 446 K, About PDF) - June 2002

• Environmental Liabilities: DOD Training Range Cleanup Cost Estimates Are Likely Understated (PDF) (39 pp, 899 K, About PDF) - April 2001

• Unexploded Ordnance: A Coordinated Approach to Detection and Clearance Is Needed  September 1995

Additional Resources

• Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC): Unexploded Ordnance  

• U.S. Department of Defense Humanitarian Demining R&D Program