Emergency Permit to Detonate Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Emergency Permit to Detonate Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Emergency Permit for disposal of UXO from the Happy Valley area. Rocketdyne will detonate approximately 70 ordance items (suspected to contain energetic material) that have been identified at the Happy Valley Area of Concern (AOC) during investigation for UXO. The items found were unstable and require detonation on site. Planned activities are proposed for September 23, 1999 as described in the Operation Plan dated August 24, 1999 and Operation Plan Supplemental dated September 3, 1999. The transportable Donovan T-10 Blast Chamber will be used to effect the on-site destruction of the unexploded ordnance. Up to 10 shots are authorized through this permit, with each shot not to exceed 5 pounds of Net Energetic Weight (NEW) of the ordnance devices. The majority of these items were 20 and 30 mm in diameter small cannon shells with some rocket heads which may contain explosives. Hazardous residues, if any will be removed for proper disposal. Rocketdyne requests this permit to detonate the ordinance items because they may pose an immediate threat as their stability is not known and may pose a detonation risk. Consequently, the safest way to manage the ordinance items is to detonate on-site. In addition, the UXO encountered at the site is unstable and does not meet DOT transportation requirements. The material has been determined to be fused and fired, and needs to be consideredarmed. Transportation of this material offsite is prohibited by the U.S. Department of Transportation under 49 CFR 173.54. Therefore, ordinance items can not be transported off-site for disposal. Continued storage also poses an unacceptable risk. The UXO materials are damaged and have been buried for years. Upon inspection, it has been determined that they are in an unstable condition; cases are damaged and explosive fillers are breaking down into unstable components, increasing the risk or unintended detonation by heat, shock or friction. Continued storage of this material is considered dangerous. The material in storage is subject to temperature and humidity variations that is was not exposed to when buried.

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