dod tactical herbicide sites - United States Department of Defense

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Assessment: On 8 October 1973, tests were initiated with the Marquardt incineratorsystem to evaluate the incineration of Herbicide Orange in a commercial incinerator overa range of selected conditions. Particular emphasis was placed on the ability of theincinerator to destroy the parts-per-million quantities (11-16 mg/kg) of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) present in the herbicide. A total of 30.5 hours ofburn time on undiluted Herbicide Orange fuel was accumulated during eight record burnperiods. Test data demonstrated that the incineration system operated very satisfactorilyusing undiluted “Orange” Herbicide as a fuel and that the herbicide and TCDD waseffectively and safely destroyed in the combustion process.The tests were accomplished between 8 October 1973 and 21 December 1973 at the AirForce-Marquardt Jet Laboratory, Van Nuys, California. During the conduct of the tests,twelve military personnel from the USAF Environmental Health Laboratories at KellyAir Force Base, Texas and McClellan Air Force Base, California performed the gassampling, scrubber water sampling, biomonitoring, noise testing, drum cleaningexperiments, and the combustion and scrubbed effluent gas monitoring.With the success of the Marquardt studies, the Under Secretary of the Air Force(Installations and Environment) recommended that the site location for a commericalincinerator was probably the most important factor for the disposal of Herbicide Orange.In 1976, the Air Force selected at-sea incineration aboard the M/T Vulcanus, a Dutchownedincinerator ship, to destroy the herbicide in Operation PACER HO (to bedescribed in the leaflets for the Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport,Mississippi, and Johnston Island, Central Pacific Ocean).Sources: Department of the Air Force (1974): Final Environmental Statement on theDisposition of Orange Herbicide by Incineration. November 1974, Department of the AirForce, Washington, DC. Unclassified, available for public distribution.Air Force Logistics Command (1976): Historical Records – Project on the Disposition ofHerbicide Orange. Office of History, Air Force Logistics Command Archives, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.Miller RA, Shafts PA, Stieritz SF, Termena BJ (1980): The Disposal of HerbicideOrange, 1971-1979. Office of History, Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-PattersonAir Force Base, Ohio.68
DOD TACTICAL HERBICIDE SITESSite 30Location: Reprocessing of Herbicide Orange, Gulfport,MississippiDate → May 1975 – March 1977Activity Description: In December 1974, the Department of the Air Force filed afinal environmental impact statement with the Council on Environmental Quality on thedisposition of Herbicide Orange by destruction aboard a specially designed incineratorship in a remote area of the Central Pacific Ocean west of Johnston Island. The USEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a public meeting in February 1975 toconsider the Air Force’s request for a permit for ocean incineration of Herbicide Orange.During that meeting, public testimony was presented that suggested that HerbicideOrange could indeed be reprocessed and the material commercially used. The EPArequested that the Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) again investigate the feasibilityof reprocessing the herbicide as a means of disposition prior to making a decision on thepermit of ocean incineration. In March 1975, a private company, Agent Chemical Inc.,(ACI) submitted a proposal to AFLC proposing that a new process had been developed toremove the TCDD from the herbicide, thus making it available to be reformulated,registered with EPA, and sold in commercial channels.From May 1975 to March 1977, ACI, the Defense Supply Agency, and AFLC worked ontests and pilot plant research to determine if the reprocessing of the Herbicide Orangestocks could be preformed safely. During the period, the Defense Supply Agency tookthe lead in managing the reprocessing program. The AFLC’s Occupational andEnvironmental Health Laboratory at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas provided the technicalexpertise. AFLC retained responsibility for all project and environmental safetyprograms. In August 1975, ACI received permission from the Mississippi Air and WaterPollution Control Commission to construct a pilot reprocessing plant at the NavalConstruction Battalion Center (NCBC) in Gulfport, Mississippi. The NCBC was thestorage site for 860,000 gallons of Herbicide Orange. The Naval authorities workedclosely with AFLC and the Defense Supply Agency in their reprocessing efforts. If thepilot plant proved successful, NCBC would be the site for the reprocessing operation.Assessment: In October 1975, ACI received a permit to construct and operate thepilot plant. The plans called for reprocessing the herbicide at both Gulfport and JohnstonIsland. The process consisted of heating the herbicide and then passing it through carbonabsorption cylinders to remove the TCDD. To reprocess all of the Herbicide Orange69
Page 1 and 2:
The History of the USDepartment of
Page 3 and 4:
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING SF 298B
Page 5 and 6:
Table of ContentsPage/sAbstract 3Th
Page 7 and 8:
The History of the US Department of
Page 9 and 10:
eing evaluated, i.e. potential expo
Page 11 and 12:
The Distinction Between Tactical an
Page 13 and 14:
highly trained air and ground-suppo
Page 15 and 16:
Administration (Tactical Herbicides
Page 17 and 18:
Buckingham WA (1982): The Air Force
Page 19 and 20:
Tactical Herbicides Deployed in Vie
Page 21 and 22: Search Strategy for Historical Docu
Page 23 and 24: DOD TACTICAL HERBICIDE SITESSite 2L
Page 31 and 32: In support of the test and evaluati
Page 33 and 34: aspen, and vaccinium. The 1963 test
Page 35 and 36: DOD TACTICAL HERBICIDE SITESSite 12
Page 43 and 44: extended to a height of 50 feet wit
Page 45 and 46: DOD TACTICAL HERBICIDE SITESSites 1
Page 49 and 50: Seven tests were also conducted at
Page 51 and 52: species found on the north side of
Page 57: Sources: Buckner JE (2 January 1969
Page 62 and 63: Majka JT, Cheng HH, McNeal BL (1982
Page 64 and 65: discussion, the United States Air F
Page 66 and 67: (TCDD) was complete, and preliminar
Page 68 and 69: No records could be found of how th
Page 70 and 71: Assessment: A total of 358 acres of
Page 74 and 75: would require about 1,000 steel cyl
Page 76 and 77: e continually maintained while the
Page 80 and 81: Sources: Department of the Air Forc
Page 82 and 83: and those who participated in Opera
show all

dod tactical herbicide sites - United States Department of Defense

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?