Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, Burro Canyon Open Burn/Open Detonation Units

Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, Burro Canyon Open Burn/Open Detonation Units

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has approved the Class 3 Hazardous Waste Facility Permit Modification that allows Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake to continue to thermally treat reactive hazardous wastes at the Open Burn/Open Detonation (OB/OD) units at Burro Canyon. The reactive hazardous wastes, also referred to as energetics, contain a substance or mixture of substances capable by chemical reaction of producing gas at high temperature and pressure so as to cause damage to the surroundings. The term energetic includes all solid and liquid materials variously known as: - high and low explosives; - propellants together with igniter, primer, and initiating charges; and - pyrotechnics (e.g., illuminant, smoke, delay, decoy, flare, and incendiary compositions). The energetics are generated onsite during research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) activities; contained in energetic-contaminated wastes (ECW) from the research laboratories; or contained in military munition items that are reclassified as obsolete while in storage. The Burro Canyon OB/OD units are operated and maintained by personnel from the Navy's Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit stationed at Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake. The OB/OD units consist of an OB Pan and the OD Area. Treatment is accomplished by burning reactive hazardous wastes using diesel or wood to facilitate combustion in the OB Pan or detonating reactive wastes using additional bulk explosive as a donor charge in the OD Area. Issuance of this Class 3 Permit Modification would impose the requirements of California Code of Regulations title 22, Division 4.5, Chapter 14, upon OB/OD operations conducted by China Lake. The Permit expires August 2011. A Closure Plan for both units is included as part of the Permit Modification.

Ridgecrest

Inyo, Kern, San Bernardino