Virginia Capes Range Complex Final Environmental Impact Statement

VACAPES Range Complex FEIS/OEISChapter 3 Affected Environment andEnvironmental Consequences3.2 – Haz Materials/Haz Wastepetroleum products, coolants, paints, adhesives, solvents, corrosion inhibitors, cleaning compounds,photographic materials, and chemicals. Hazardous materials are also used in, munitions and targetsbecause they are strong, lightweight, reliable, long-lasting, or low-cost.Munitions Constituents – Materials originating from unexploded ordnance (UXO), discarded militarymunitions, or other military munitions, including explosive and non-explosive materials and emission,degradation, or breakdown products of such ordnance and munitions, are called munitions constituents.When missiles, munitions, and targets are used for their intended purpose, component hazardous materialsare considered munitions constituents. Components that contain hazardous constituents includepropellants, batteries, flares, telemetry, igniters, jet fuel, diesel fuel, hydraulic fluid, and explosivewarheads. Each constituent has the potential to affect human health and the environment through directcontact with individuals, water, soil, or air.Hazardous Constituents – Hazardous constituents can generally be defined as hazardous materialspresent at low concentrations in a generally non-hazardous matrix, such that their hazardous properties donot produce acute effects. The USEPA and the DoD have identified numerous waste streams from Navyvessels that do or may contain hazardous constituents. Waste streams from Navy vessels that maycontain hazardous constituents include hull coating leachate, bilgewater/oil water separator discharges,gray water, cooling water, weather deck runoff, chain locker effluent, elevator pit effluent, andphotographic laboratory drains. Small boat engines discharge petroleum products in their wet exhaust.Hazardous Waste – A hazardous waste may cause, or significantly contribute to, an increase in mortalityor an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness; or pose a present or potential riskto human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed, or otherwisemanaged. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), 42 U.S.C. Part 6901, et seq. regulatesmanagement of solid and hazardous waste.Military Munitions Rule – This rule clarifies when conventional and chemical military munitionsbecome a solid waste, which then may be regulated as hazardous waste under the RCRA. Militarymunitions are not considered hazardous waste under two conditions stated in the USEPA MilitaryMunitions Rule and the DoD Interim Policy on Military Munitions (1997). These conditions covervirtually all the uses of missiles, munitions, and targets at the VACAPES Study Area. Specifically,munitions are not considered hazardous waste when they are: Used for their intended purpose, including training of military personnel and explosive emergencyresponse specialists or for research and development activities, and when they are recovered,collected, and destroyed during range clearance events. Unused and being repaired, reused, recycled, reclaimed, disassembled, reconfigured, or subjected toother material recovery activities.Used hazardous materials and chemical byproducts generated at sea are not considered hazardous wasteuntil offloaded at port. Environmental compliance policies and procedures applicable to shipboardoperations afloat are defined in applicable naval operations instruction manuals. These instructionsreinforce the Clean Water Act’s prohibition against discharge of harmful quantities of hazardoussubstances into or on U.S. waters out to 200 nm. Navy ships are required to conduct operations at sea insuch a manner as to minimize or eliminate any adverse impacts on marine environment. This includesconforming to stringent requirements for hazardous waste discharge, storage, dumping, and pollutionprevention.Hazardous material and waste generated afloat are stored in approved containers and offloaded for properdisposal within five working days of arrival at a Navy port. All commands (ship or shore) can returnexcess and unused hazardous materials to the Hazardous Material Minimization Center (HAZMINCEN)located at their assigned naval station (DoN, 2005a). The Consolidated Hazardous MaterialsReutilization and Inventory Management Program (CHRIMP) provides assistance in the development andimplementation of local hazardous material management. It is available online at3-15 March 2009