[CPEO-MEF] CHEMWEAPONS: "Remediation of Buried Chemical Warfare Materiel"

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

[This is a very significant report, not only in its findings and  
recommendations, but in that the Army recognizes the need to address  
buried chemical warfare materiel in the first place. - LS]

Remediation of Buried Chemical Warfare Materiel

National Research Council
August, 2012

As the result of disposal practices from the early to mid-twentieth  
century, approximately 250 sites in 40 states, the District of  
Columbia, and 3 territories are known or suspected to have buried  
chemical warfare materiel (CWM). Much of this CWM is likely to occur  
in the form of small finds that necessitate the continuation of the  
Army's capability to transport treatment systems to disposal  
locations for destruction. Of greatest concern for the future are  
sites in residential areas and large sites on legacy military  
installations.

The Army mission regarding the remediation of recovered chemical  
warfare materiel (RCWM) is turning into a program much larger than  
the existing munition and hazardous substance cleanup programs. The  
Army asked the Nation Research Council (NRC) to examine this evolving  
mission in part because this change is significant and becoming even  
more prominent as the stockpile destruction is nearing completion.  
One focus in this report is the current and future status of the Non- 
Stockpile Chemical Material Project (NSCMP), which now plays a  
central role in the remediation of recovered chemical warfare  
materiel and which reports to the Chemical Materials Agency.

Remediation of Buried Chemical Warfare Materiel also reviews current  
supporting technologies for cleanup of CWM sites and surveys  
organizations involved with remediation of suspected CWM disposal  
sites to determine current practices and coordination. In this  
report, potential deficiencies in operational areas based on the  
review of current supporting technologies for cleanup of CWM sites  
and develop options for targeted research and development efforts to  
mitigate potential problem areas are identified.

For more information, including a link to the full report, go to
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php? 
record_id=13419&utm_medium=etmail&utm_source=The%20National% 
20Academies%20Press&utm_campaign=NAP+mail+new 
+8.14.12&utm_content=Downloader&utm_term=

You may need to cut and paste the link.

--

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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