| From: | joelf@cape.com |
| Date: | 5 Mar 2001 17:56:34 -0000 |
| Reply: | cpeo-military |
| Subject: | [CPEO-MEF] Munitions Toxics in MMR Soil, Water |
Please Post
Dear Folks,
For those of you living near bombing or artillery ranges who believe
that munitions training may be polluting your soil and/or drinking
water, I am posting the findings (as of January, 2001) extracted from
EPA Region 1 Administrative Order #4. The first three paragraphs
summarize Orders 1-3 under the Safe Drinking Water Act.. ("MW" is an
abbreviation for "monitoring well".)
18. On February 27, 1997, pursuant to Section 1431 of the Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA), 42 U.S.C. 300i, EPA issued Administrative
Order SDWA I-97-1019, which required the National Guard Bureau to
investigate contamination at and emanating from the Training Ranges
and Impact Area.
19. On April 10, 1997, EPA issued Administrative Order SDWA
I-97-1030, which required the National Guard Bureau and the
Massachusetts National Guard to cease certain training activities
pending the completion of environmental investigations at the
Training Ranges and Impact Area. Administrative Order SDWA I-97-1030
was later modified on July 25, 1997.
20. On January 7, 2000, EPA issued Administrative Order SDWA
I-2000-0014, which required the National Guard Bureau and the
Massachusetts National Guard to undertake rapid response actions and
remedial actions to address contamination in certain areas at the
Training Ranges and Impact Area. Administrative Order SDWA
I-2000-0014 required the National Guard Bureau, among other things,
to undertake a feasibility study to address unexploded ordnance (UXO)
and munitions which have been disposed of at the Training Ranges and
Impact Area, and upon approval by EPA, to implement remedial measures
relating to UXO and munitions.
21. Munitions and other materials used at the Training Ranges and
Impact Area, both currently and in the past, contain solid wastes,
hazardous constituents and/or hazardous wastes, including the
compounds detected in groundwater and soil discussed in paragraph 28
below. A partial list of the munitions used at MMR and their
components is contained in the Ordnance and Explosives Archive Search
Report (Army Corps of Engineers, March, 1999), the Draft Range Use
History Report (Ogden Environmental, June, 1997) and Draft Chemical
Composition of Munitions Report (Ogden Environmental, June, 1997).
22. Munitions used by Respondents in artillery and mortar firing
at MMR contained explosive compounds. High explosives used at MMR in
the past for mortar, rocket and artillery firing and for grenades
include trinitrotoluene (TNT) and Royal Demolition Explosive (RDX),
hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine.
23. Propellants used in the past at MMR for artillery include
single base propellants. The constituents of single base propellants
include, among other things, dinitrotoluene (DNT), dibutylphthalate
and diphenylamine. The isomers 2,4-DNT and 2,6-DNT are compounds
that compose technical grade DNT.
24. Propellants that were used at MMR for mortar and rocket firing
included double-base propellants, including M7, M8, and M9
propellants. Generally, double-base propellants include
nitroglycerin as one of the constituents. Nitroglycerin and
diethylphthalate together account for 46% of the reported weight of
M8 propellants. M9 propellants also contain diphenylamine.
25. Munitions used by Respondents at MMR contained metals that have
been found in soil in the Training Ranges and Impact Area, including
lead, antimony, beryllium, molybdenum, copper, barium, aluminum,
magnesium, cadmium, and thallium.
26. Pyrotechnics were also used in training operations at MMR.
Available information indicates that many of the pyrotechnics have
hazardous constituents, including but not limited to contaminants
detected in soil and groundwater in the Impact Area and Training
Range. Many pyrotechnics used at MMR contain hazardous constituents
such as lead thiocyanate, nitroglycerin, diethylphthalate,
hexachlorobenzene, magnesium, aluminum, and acetone.
27. Portions of the Training Ranges and Impact Area have been
investigated for groundwater, soil and sediment contamination
pursuant to EPA's Administrative Order SDWA I-97-1019. To date, this
study has revealed that a number of areas in the Training Ranges and
Impact Area have been contaminated by Respondents' disposal and
training related activities. Contamination from explosives,
propellants, metals, herbicides, pesticides, volatile organic
compounds, semivolatile organic compounds and UXO have been
discovered in soil and/or groundwater in numerous areas.
Investigations regarding the nature and extent of contamination at
the Training Ranges and Impact Area are ongoing.
28. Information gathered to date under this study indicates that
specific areas at or near the Training Ranges and Impact Area
require response action, as described in Administrative Order SDWA
I-2000-0014. The specific areas, and some of the levels of
contamination detected, are as follows:
A. Demolition Area I: Demolition Area I, a training area
used primarily for demolition, is located south of the Impact Area
and north of Pocasset-Forestdale Road. Types of materials used for
training purposes at this location included C4, TNT, dynamite, shape
charges, cratering charges, bangalore torpedoes, claymore mines and
detonating cord. This area was also used for open burn/open
detonation disposal of munitions.
RDX has been detected in groundwater monitoring wells in the vicinity
or downgradient of Demolition Area 1 at concentrations in excess of
EPA's Health Advisory for RDX of 2 ppb, as follows:
MW 19 260 ppb
MW 34 6.2 ppb
MW 31 370 ppb
MW 73 63 ppb
MW-76 37 ppb
MW 77 150 ppb
MW34 is approximately one half mile west of Demolition Area 1.
2,4,6-TNT has been detected in groundwater in MW 19 at Demolition
Area 1 at 16 ppb, which is in excess of EPA's Lifetime Health
Advisory for TNT of 2 ppb.
The following is an incomplete list of contaminants which have also
been detected in surface and subsurface soils at Demolition Area 1:
Surface Soils:
RDX 14,000,000 ppb
HMX 1,300,000 ppb
2A-4,6-DNT 800 ppb
4A,2,6-DNT 400 ppb
2,4,-DNT 1,800 ppb
Hexachlorobenzene 7,400 ppb
dioxin (TEQ 2,3,7,8-TCDD) 27.03 pg/g
2,6-DNT 40 ppb
Di-N-Butylphthalate 290 ppb
N-nitrosodiphenylamine 930 ppb
Subsurface Soils:
RDX 9,300 ppb
HMX 380 ppb
2A-4,6-DNT 360 ppb
4A-2,6-DNT 340 ppb
2,4-DNT 150 ppb
Di-N-Butylpthalate 200 ppb
N-nitrosodiphenylamine 34 ppb
The contaminants found in soil and groundwater in and downgradient of
Demolition Area 1 lie within the zone of contribution for active
public water supply wells in Bourne, Massachusetts. A zone of
contribution defines the land area from which groundwater flows into
a drinking water well under pumping conditions. Contaminants in soil
and groundwater in a zone of contribution may be drawn into a
drinking water well.
The contamination in soils at Demolition Area 1 has entered
and is likely to continue to enter the underlying groundwater.
B. Chemical Spill (CS)-19: The CS-19 site is a small area in the
west-central region of the Impact Area that was used for the disposal
of munitions, among other things.
RDX has been detected in groundwater monitoring wells in the vicinity
or downgradient of CS-19, in excess of EPA's Health Advisory of 2 ppb
for RDX as follows:
MW 25 4.1 ppb
58 MW 0002 20 ppb
58MW0009E 17 ppb
Contaminants have also been detected in surface and subsurface
soils at
at CS-19, including, but not limited to, the following:
Surface Soils:
RDX 580 ppb
HMX 2,713 ppb
diethylphthalate 14,000 ppb
Hexachlorobenzene 4,600 ppb
2,4-DNT 710 ppb
N-nitrosodiphenylamine 380 ppb
OCDD 3.5 ppb
dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD TEQ) 11.38 pg/g
DCDF 2.9 ppb
Total HpCDD .31 ppb
MCPP 232,000 ppb
Aluminum 26,100 ppm
Lead 1,830 ppm
Magnesium 12,200 ppm
Subsurface Soils:
HMX 789 ppb
Hexachlorobenzene 3,500 ppb
OCDD 1.9 ppb
Total HxCDF .68 ppb
Total Hp CDF .67 ppb
DCDF 3.9 ppb
Aluminum 9,050 ppm
Lead 1,500 ppm
Magnesium 2,100 ppm
Contamination in soils at CS-19 has entered and is likely to continue
to enter the underlying groundwater.
The soil and groundwater contamination related to CS-19 lie within
the zone of contribution for Long Range Water Supply 8, a potential
water supply well site being investigated as a future public drinking
water well.
C. Southeast Corner of the Ranges: This area is close to
the top of the groundwater mound of the Sagamore Lens. Explosives
have been detected in wells outside of the Impact Area north of Snake
Pond close to the J Ranges. Explosives were disposed on the ground
surface and into underground holding tanks.
RDX has been detected in groundwater monitoring wells in the vicinity
or downgradient of the J Ranges in excess of EPA's Health Advisory of
2 ppb for RDX as follows:
90WT 013 5.2 ppb
90MW 0022 5.4 ppb
MW-58 7.4 ppb
HMX has been detected in a well installed near the melt-pour facility
on the J-3 Range at concentrations ranging to 12 ppb.
Contaminants have also been detected in surface soils at the steel
lined pit at the J Ranges including the following:
RDX 24,000 ppb
HMX 9,300 ppb
2,4-DNT 200 ppb
di-n-butylphthalate 80 ppb
pentachlorophenol 70 ppb
aluminum 24,600 ppm
lead 616 ppm
magnesium 2,720 ppm
barium 1,140 ppm
copper 2,350 ppm
cadmium 33.3 ppm
Contamination in soils at the steel lined pit is likely to enter the
underlying groundwater. The soil and groundwater contamination
related to the J Ranges lie within the zone of contribution for Long
Range Water Supply Wells 95-6 and 95-15, potential water supply well
sites which are being investigated for future public drinking water
wells. This contamination may also lie within the zone of
contribution for the J Well, a current water supply well for MMR.
D. Groundwater under and emanating from the Central Impact Area:
Numerous detections of explosives in groundwater at various depths in
the aquifer track back to, or originate from, the center of the
Impact Area. The Impact Area contains numerous target areas where
mortar and artillery, including high explosive and white phosphorous
warheads, were fired over time.
RDX has been detected in groundwater monitoring wells in the
vicinity or downgradient of the targets in the Central Impact Area at
levels in excess of EPA's Health Advisory of 2 ppb for RDX, as
follows:
MW-107 4.0 ppb MW-2 13 ppb
MW-23 6.6 ppb MW-85 29.0 ppb
MW-38 3.0 ppb MW-86 2.5 ppb
MW-1M2 4.6 ppb MW-1S 3.1 ppb
MW-90 3.4 ppb MW-105 5.9 ppb
MW-25 4.1 ppb MW-91S 12.0 ppb
MW-91M1 18.0 ppb MW-40 3.0 ppb
MW-37 3.6 ppb MW-101 2.5 ppb
MW-100 4.3 ppb MW-99 6.9 ppb
MW-87 6.5 ppb MW-89 8.3 ppb
MW-93M1 2.2 ppb MW-98 2.1 ppb
MW-93M2 5.2 ppb MW-107 4.0 ppb
MW-88 7.0 ppb MW-95 2.2 ppb
MW-2 and MW-23 are located within the zone of contribution for Long
Range Water Supply Well 95-6, a potential water supply well site
being investigated for a future public drinking water well.
RDX at levels below the Health Advisory of 2 ppb has also been
detected at numerous wells within and downgradient of the Impact
Area.
The detection of RDX emanating from the Impact Area at levels below
and above the Health Advisory indicates that RDX has been introduced
into the aquifer in the Impact Area, that it is migrating in
groundwater at concentrations above the Health Advisory level from
source areas toward potential drinking water supplies, and that it
has migrated as far as 9,000 feet from its probable source.
In addition, the following contaminant has been found in surface
soils in Study Area 2 within the Impact Area, which lies within the
zone of contribution for Long Range Water Supply Well 95-6, a water
supply well site which is being investigated for a potential drinking
water supply well:
1,2-dibromoethane 190 ppb
The contamination in soils in Study Area 2 is likely to enter the
underlying groundwater.
E. The KD Range: The KD Range is located southeast of
the Impact Area, on Pocasset-Forestdale Road. Ordnance known to have
been used at KD Range has included: all pistol calibers; 5.56 mm and
7.62 mm ball and tracer rounds; 14.5 mm subcaliber training devices;
40 mm High Explosive (HE) and practice grenades; Dragon High
Explosive Anti-tank (HEAT) and practice artillery rockets, 90 mm
recoilless rifle HEAT and practice rounds, and TOW practice rounds.
The area was primarily used for rocket training.
The following contaminants, including but not limited to explosives
and propellants, have been found in surface soil near targets used in
the KD Range:
RDX 43,000 ppb
HMX 10,100 ppb
TNT 2,100 ppb
2A-4,6-DNT 220 ppb
4A-2,6-DNT 140 ppb
copper 1,820 ppm
lead 816 ppm
dieldrin 1,800 ppb
nitroglycerin 6,400 ppb
In profile samples collected during drilling, 2,6-DNT and HMX were
detected in MW 61M at 10.2 feet below the water table and 20.2 feet
below the water table, respectively. Consultants for NGB have
concluded that shallow detections of 2,6-DNT and HMX in MW-61 are
likely to have originated from the KD Range target area.
In addition, the following contaminant (a constituent of propellants)
was found in surface soil near the firing position for the KD Range:
Nitroglycerin 130,000
ppb
Contamination in soils at the KD Range is likely to enter the
underlying groundwater. The contaminants in soil at the KD Range are
within the zone of contribution of current public drinking water
wells of Bourne, Massachusetts.
F. J-3 Wetland: The J-3 Wetland is located south of the J-3 Range
and north of Snake Pond. The property on which the J-3 Wetland is
located was formerly part of the MMR.
The following contaminants, which include propellants and their
byproducts, as well as the pesticide dieldrin, have been detected in
sediment samples at the following levels at the J-3 Wetland:
Nitroglycerin 5,200 ppb
Di-n-butyl phthalate 37 ppb
N-nitrosodiphenylamine 240 ppb
Dieldrin 200 ppb
The NGB has conducted a rapid response action to address
contamination in soils and sediments at the J-3 Wetland pursuant to
EPA Administrative Order No. SDWA I-2000-0014.
G. Gun Positions: The following contaminants, which include
propellants, propellant breakdown products, pesticides and metals,
have been found in soils at the following gun positions:
i. Gun Position 7
2,4-DNT 1,300 ppb
2,6-DNT 26 ppb
ii. Gun Position 16
2,4-DNT 600 ppb
iii. Gun Position 9
2,4-DNT 17,000 ppb
2,6-DNT 960 ppb
N-nitrosodiphenylamine 930 ppb
Pentachlorphenol 180 ppb
Arsenic 17 ppb
Di-N-butylthalate 6,000 ppb
In addition, contamination, most notably the explosive and propellant
component
2,4-dinitrotoluene, has been found at numerous other gun and mortar
firing positions. Contamination in soils at these gun positions is
likely to enter the underlying groundwater.
H. Armored Personnel Carrier: The following explosives and
explosives breakdown products have been found in soil beneath a pile
of UXO and debris near the Armored Personnel Carrier to the east of
Turpentine Road in the Impact Area:
Surface Soils
2A46 DNT 230 ppb
RDX 1,150 ppb
HMX 150 ppb
Soils 6-12" below Surface
2A46 DNT 155 ppb
RDX 565 ppb
HMX 150 ppb
The NGB has conducted a rapid response action to address contaminants
in soil at the Armored Personnel Carrier pursuant to EPA
Administrative Order No. SDWA 1-2000-0014.
--
Joel Feigenbaum
24 Pond View Drive
E. Sandwich MA 02537
(508)-833-0144
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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