“The preponderance of evidence indicates that the probability of an explosives directly related to the long-term storage of M6 propellant at Minden is likely.”–STATE OF LOUISIANA
M6 artillery propellant, in white packages, stored at Louisiana National Guard’s Camp Minden. The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday (May 8, 2015) announced it would not disapprove of the Louisiana Military Department’s hiring of a company to dispose of the material through a closed burning process. (EPA) (EPA)
The federal Environmental Protection Agency cleared the way Friday (May 8) for the Louisiana Military Department to hire a contractor to dispose of 16 million pounds of dangerous artillery propellants and explosives at the National Guard’s Camp Minden through a “contained burn” method that will collect potentially toxic air pollution.
The EPA told state officials it would not exercise its right to disapprove of the contractor chosen to dispose of the material, clearing the way for the state and contractor to complete other permitting requirements.
The contained burn method will allow the materials to be burned inside a structure, with any pollutants collected and treated before being released. The state’s selection of Explosive Service International followed a months-long process to review alternative methods of disposing of the unstable propellants and explosives after residents, local and state officials opposed an earlier plan by the EPA and the Louisiana National Guard to dispose of them through open burning at Camp Minden.
The selection of the controlled burn method was criticized by Louisiana Progress Action, which participated in a community dialog set up by EPA and the state to discuss alternative disposal methods. The organization wants the material disposed of in “supercritical water oxidation” units, and said it has serious concerns the selected method will not reduce pollutants to levels agreed to by the dialog committee.
“While incineration is safer than an open burn, there is no reason why the U.S. Army should refuse to honor its public commitment to let Camp Minden have the safest solution,” the organization said in a news release. “Taxpayers funded the military’s extensive research on supercritical water oxidation, purchased the SCWO unit, and are currently paying for it to sit in storage not being used.
The group said the oxidation method could allow destruction of the material to begin within a few months, while it could take up to a year for the selected burn method to begin.
U.S. Army experts warned in March that condensation had covered many of the propellant and explosive containers, speeding their degradation and increasing the danger of a catastrophic explosion.
The explosives were abandoned at the base by Explo Systems Inc., which went bankrupt in 2013. In October 2012, an explosion in one of the bunkers the company leased at Camp Minden led to a Louisiana State Police investigation that discovered the millions of pounds of propellant still on the site.
Disposal of the dangerous material will cost $28 million, retired Brig. Gen. Owen Monconduit, who is deputy director of contracting and purchasing for the Military Department, said in an April 14 letter to the EPA recommending the hiring of Explosive Service International. The Baton Rouge company was one of 10 that submitted bids for the project.
According to exhibits submitted with the letter, the company’s thermal treatment process can dispose of propellant and explosives in their existing packaging, and the system has been permitted for operation in other states.
“Contained burn technology can be thought of as ‘open burning indoors,'” said an explanation submitted by the company with its bid. “Materials are prepared and ignited similar to traditional open burning operations but the exhaust gasses are completely contained and cleaned prior to release. The design of the pollution control system to scrub off the gases is tailored to the chemistry of the materials being treated.”
The method would be used to dispose of 15,687,247 pounds of M6 artillery propellant and 320,890 pounds of Clean Burning Igniter, at a rate of about 63,000 pounds per day, according to the Military Department letter.
EPA and state officials have not said when the work might begin.
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