[CPEO-MEF] MUNITIONS: Senate seeks Alternatives to Open Burning/Detonation

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Following Truthout Investigations, Senate Seeks Alternatives to Burning Military Waste in Open Air

By Mike Ludwig
Truthout 
June 21, 2016 

The Senate recently approved an amendment to the omnibus defense-spending bill designed to pressure the military to move away from openly burning and detonating stockpiles of leftover munitions and other explosive and hazardous wastes at open-air facilities.

An amendment to the Senate's version of the National Defense Authorization Act would require the National Academy of Sciences to review the military's massive stockpile of demilitarized munitions and study available and emerging technology that could replace the practice of "open burning, open detonation" for disposing of hazardous and explosive wastes.

The process of open burning and open detonation is exactly what it sounds like -- small amounts of explosive materials used in conventional warfare are placed on large trays in an open area and then ignited. This process is repeated for months or even years, and has been linked to air pollution and toxic groundwater contamination. Canada and many European countries banned the practice in all but emergency situations years ago, but open burning still occurs near many communities across the United States.  

…

For the entire article, see
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/36504-following-truthout-investigations-senate-calls-for-study-on-alternatives-to-burning-military-waste-in-open-air

--

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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