Alternative Detonation Methods Wanted

[Aimee Houghton <aimeeh@cpeo.org>]

April 5, 1998

TO: The Military Toxics Community
FROM: The Alliance For Base Cleanup, Falmouth, Massachusetts
SUBJECT: Open burning/ open detonation (OB/OD)

 Citizens of Cape Cod living next to the Massachusetts Military
Reservation are in the middle of a struggle with the United States
Army to bring about a change in the Army's policy of disposal of
unexploded ordnance through open burning/open detonation. The
immediate issue here is 1,100 mortar rounds recently excavated as
part of the Camp Edwards impact area groundwater study--a study
which is itself confirming the damage done by Army training and
demolition practices.

 In order to prevent the 1,100 mortar rounds from causing yet more
contaminination of air, soil, and groundwater, citizens of the Impact

Area Review Team have been asking since last December that the
rounds be detonated in an enclosed chamber fitted with air pollution
controls. A company named Donovan Industries of Danvers, Illinois
has the technology to do this. Donovan has estimated the cost of a
portable disposal unit at $1.4 million--money which would be easily
recovered in the disposal of other munitons at Camp Edwards, and at
other bases around the country and world.

 The Army, unwilling to bend or change national policy in any way,
insists that open detonation of the rounds is the only alternative.
EPA
Region 1 is in support of citizen concerns and is attemptinmg
unsuccessfully to negotiate with the Army. At this point, change can
only be brought about through the political arena.

 The Camp Edwards impact area is under a mile from residential
neighborhoods. Cancer rates on Upper Cape Cod are highly
elevated--particularly female lung cancer. The explosive RDX has
been found in groundwater at a level of 190 parts per billion.
Citizens
here believe firmly that it is time for the Army to submit to
regulation.
All of us know too well the costs to public health and the
environment
of the military of the past, unregulated in any way--now the largest
polluter in the world.

 Decisions are being made in Washington this week about our demand
for an enclosed demolition facility at the Massachusetts Military
Reservation. Letters of support, particularly from people living
near
other Army OB/OD sites, would be much appreciated. Please send
them to the following addresses and "cc" us:

Senator@Kennedy.Senate.Gov.
John_Kerry@Kerry.Senate.Gov.
William.Delahunt@mail.house.gov.

Thanks,

Richard Hugus
Otis Conversion Project

--
Aimee Houghton
Program Coordinator
The Center for Public Environmental Oversight (formerly CAREER/PRO)
425 Market Street, 2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
tel: (415) 904-7750; fax: (415) 904-7765
Email: aimeeh@cpeo.org

A Program of the San Francisco Urban Institute