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OCR for page R1
Assessment of Processing
Gelleu ~ lVlJJ l\V~I~
at Anniston
Committee on Review of Army Planning for the Disposal of M55 Rockets
at the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility
Boa rcl on Army Science and Technology
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF DIE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D C
www.nap.efdu
OCR for page R2
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National
Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National
Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report
were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This is a report of work supported by Contract DAADl9-01-C-0001 between the U.S. Army and the National
Academy of Sciences. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are
those of the authoress and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support
for the project.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars
engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their
use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has
a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts
is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of
Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the
selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal
government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national
needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A.
Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of
eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the
public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional
charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care
research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the
broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising
the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council
has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of
Fn~ineerin~ in nrovirlin~ .service.s to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities.
--Do --D --- r—— ·—~—--D -
The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and
Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
www. nationa l-academies.org
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COMMITTEE ON REVIEW OF ARMY PLANNING FOR THE DISPOSAL OF M55 ROCKETS AT THE
ANNISTON CHEMICAL AGENT DISPOSAL FACILITY
JAMES F. MATHIS, Chair, Exxon Corporation (retired), Houston, Texas
DAVID H. ARCHER, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh
JOHN J. COSTOLNICK, Exxon Corporation (retired), Houston, Texas
ELISABETH M. DRAKE, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (retired), Cambridge
DEBORAH L. GRUBBE, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Delaware
DAVID A. HOECKE, Enercon Systems, Inc., Elyria, Ohio
DAVID H. JOHNSON, ABS Consulting, Irvine, California
PETER B. LEDERMAN, New Jersey Institute of Technology (retired), New Providence
JOHN L. MARGRAVE, Rice University, Houston, Texas
CHARLES I. McGINNIS, U.S. Army (retired), Charlottesville, Virginia
FREDERICK G. POHLAND, University of Pittsburgh
JEFFREY I. STEINFELD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
BOARD ON ARMY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LIAISON
RICHARD A. CONWAY, Union Carbide Corporation (retired), Charleston, West Virginia
STAFF
DONALD L. SIEBENALER, Study Director
HARRISON T. PANNELLA, Program Officer
CARTER W. FORD, Senior Project Assistant
JAMES C. MYSKA, Research Associate
V
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COMMITTEE ON REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF THE ARMY CHEMICAL
STOCKPILE DISPOSAL PROGRAM
PETER B. LEDERMAN, Chair, New Jersey Institute of Technology (retired), Newark
CHARLES I. McGINNIS, Vice Chair, U.S. Army (retired), Charlottesville, Virginia
DAVID H. ARCHER, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh
JOHN J. COSTOLNICK, Exxon Chemical Company (retired), Houston, Texas
ELISABETH M. DRAKE, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
DEBORAH L. GRUBBE, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Delaware
DAVID A. HOECKE, Enercon Systems, Inc., Elyria, Ohio
DAVID H. JOHNSON, ABS Consulting, Irvine, California
JOHN L. MARGRAVE, Rice University, Houston, Texas
JAMES F. MATHIS, Exxon Corporation (retired), Houston, Texas
FREDERICK G. POHLAND, University of Pittsburgh
ROBERT B. PUYEAR, Consultant, Chesterfield, Missouri
CHARLES F. REINHARDT, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (retired), Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
W. LEIGH SHORT, URS Greiner Woodward-Clyde (retired), Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
JEFFREY I. STEINFELD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
RAE ZIMMERMAN, New York University
BOARD ON ARMY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LIAISON
RICHARD A. CONWAY, Union Carbide Corporation (retired), Charleston, West Virg
STAFF
DONALD L. SIEBENALER, Study Director
HARRISON T. PANNELLA, Program Officer
CARTER W. FORD, Senior Project Assistant
JAMES C. MYSKA, Research Associate
. .
1ma
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BOARD ON ARMY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
JOHN E. MILLER, Chair, Oracle Corporation, Reston, Virginia
GEORGE T. SINGLEY, III, Vice Chair, Hicks and Associates, Inc., McLean, Virginia
NORVAL L. BROOME, MITRE Corporation (retired), Suffolk, Virginia
ROBERT L. CATTOI, Rockwell International (retired), Dallas
RICHARD A. CONWAY, Union Carbide Corporation (retired), Charleston, West Virginia
GILBERT F. DECKER, Walt Disney Imagineering (retired), Glendale, California
ALAN H. EPSTEIN, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
ROBERT R. EVERETT, MITRE Corporation (retired), New Seabury, Massachusetts
PATRICK F. FLYNN, Cummins Engine Company, Inc. (retired), Columbus, Indiana
HENRY J. HATCH, Army Chief of Engineers (retired), Oakton, Virginia
EDWARD J. HAUG, University of Iowa, Iowa City
GERALD J. IAFRATE, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
MIRIAM E. JOHN, California Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore
DONALD R. KEITH, Cypress International (retired), Alexandria, Virginia
CLARENCE W. KITCHENS, Hicks and Associates, Inc., McLean, Virginia
ROGER A. KRONE, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, Philadelphia
SHIRLEY A. LIEBMAN, CECON Group (retired), Holtwood, Pennsylvania
KATHRYN V. LOGAN, Georgia Institute of Technology (professor emerita), Roswell
STEPHEN C. LUBARD, S-L Technology, Woodland Hills, California
JOHN W. LYONS, U.S. Army Research Laboratory (retired), Ellicott City, Maryland
JOHN H. MOXLEY, Korn/Ferry International, Los Angeles
MILLARD F. ROSE, Radiance Technologies, Huntsville, Alabama
WALTER D. SINCOSKIE, Telcordia Technologies, Inc., Morristown, New Jersey
JOSEPH J. VERVIER, ENSCO, Inc., Melbourne, Florida
STAFF
BRUCE A. BRAWN, Director
WILLIAM E. CAMPBELL, Administrative Officer
CHRIS JONES, Financial Associate
DEANNA P. SPARGER, Administrative Associate
DANIEL E.J. TALMAGE, JR., Research Associate
v~
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Preface
Since World War II, the United States has main-
tained a large stockpile of munitions containing chemi-
cal agents. In 1985, Congress mandated that the stock-
pile of M55 rockets containing agent be destroyed
expeditiously because of the possibility they might self-
ignite. The mandate was eventually expanded to cover
the destruction of the entire stockpile of 31,495 tons of
predominantly nerve and mustard agents located at nine
sites, eight in the continental United States and one at
Johnston Island in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Ha-
waii. The Army created the Chemical Stockpile Dis-
posal Program to implement the destruction mission,
and the office of the Program Manager for Chemical
Demilitarization (PMCD) was established to manage
it. Congress also instructed the Army to seek the ad-
vice of outside independent authorities on the conduct
of the program.
In response to this instruction, the Army requested
the National Research Council (NRC) to advise it on
stockpile destruction matters. The standing NRC Com-
mittee on Review and Evaluation of the Army Chemi-
cal Stockpile Disposal Program (the Stockpile Com-
mittee) was established to provide this advice. Over
the years, at the specific request of the Army, the NRC
[Early in 2003, activities were initiated for PMCD to be sub-
sumed, along with the staffs of the Assembled Chemical Weapons
Assessment (ACWA), the Project Manager for Alternative Tech-
nologies and Approaches (PMATA), and the chemical depots, into
a new overarching organization, the Chemical Materials Agency.
CMA will thus be responsible for both the storage and destruction
of the U.S. stockpile of chemical agents and munitions. In this re-
port, the earlier acronym, PMCD, will be used.
has produced 14 full reports and 16 letter reports on a
wide variety of chemical demilitarization topics. The ad
hoc Committee on Review of Army Planning for the Dis-
posal of M55 Rockets at the Anniston Chemical Agent
Disposal Facility (the M55 Committee) was formed un-
der the purview of the Stockpile Committee to produce
this report.
To date, approximately 26 percent of the total stock-
pile has been destroyed at two sites Johnston Island in
the Pacific Ocean and Tooele, Utah using the Army's
baseline incineration system technology. M55 rockets
containing satin (GB) nerve agent are among the muni-
tions that were processed at both the Johnston Island and
Tooele facilities. At Johnston Island, all of these rockets
contained liquid agent that could be drained and processed
in the liquid incinerator. The remainder of each rocket
was chopped into pieces and processed in a rotary kiln
called the deactivation furnace system (DFS). Most of the
GB-filled M55 rockets at Tooele likewise contained liq-
uid agent, but a significant number contained gelled or
semisolidified agent that could not be drained. Gelled
material varies in properties, with some of it showing only
a modest increase in viscosity (molasses-like properties)
and some being semisolid (like gelatin). When heated, the
gel starts to melt and flow like a liquid again. A special
processing sequence was developed that bypassed the
draining station. Rockets containing gelled GB were
chopped into pieces with the gelled agent inside, and the
sheared segments were processed in the DFS. Regulatory
requirements of the state of Utah required that the rate at
which these rockets were processed be reduced such that
the amount of agent being fed into the DFS be no greater
vim
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than the amount of residual agent (5 percent) allowed
when drained rockets were processed. The Army be-
lieves that gelled GB rockets can be processed through
the DFS at a substantially higher rate while still meet-
ing the rigid requirements of a safe operation and ac-
complishing the required 99.9999 percent destruction
of agent.
If the rockets at the Anniston site are processed
faster, the risk to the public from the continued storage
of the overall Anniston stockpile will be less. Risk as-
sessments have consistently indicated that the risk to
the public from ongoing storage is significantly higher
than the risk from disposal processing. The Army there-
fore asked the NRC to evaluate the possibility that
gelled rockets could be destroyed safely and effectively
at a higher rate than at Tooele. A second, very similar
request was received from then-Congressman Robert
R. Riley of Alabama, now governor of the state.
The M55 Committee would like to recognize the
assistance given by Army staff and contractors in pro-
viding information and answering questions from the
committee. The committee is likewise grateful for the
assistance of NRC staff members Donald L. Siebenaler,
Harrison T. Pannella, Carter W. Ford, James C. Myska,
William E. Campbell, and Elizabeth Fikre in produc-
ing this report.
James F. Mathis
Chair
Committee on Review of Army Planning for
the Disposal of M55 Rockets at the Anniston
Chemical Agent Disposal Facility
. . .
vail
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Acknowledgment
This report has been reviewed in draft form by indi-
viduals chosen for their diverse perspectives and tech-
nical expertise, in accordance with procedures ap-
proved by the NRC's Report Review Committee. The
purpose of this independent review is to provide can-
did and critical comments that will assist the institution
in making its published report as sound as possible and
to ensure that the report meets institutional standards
for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the
study charge. The review comments and draft manu-
script remain confidential to protect the integrity of the
deliberative process. We wish to thank the following
individuals for their review of this report:
Vicki Bier, University of Wisconsin
J. Robert Gibson, Gibson Consulting, LLC
Michael R. Greenberg, Rutgers University
Yacov Y. Haimes, University of Virginia
Joseph J. Helble, University of Connecticut
Charles E. Kolb, Aerodyne Research, Inc.
Six
Kun-Chich Lee, The Dow Chemical Company
Walter G. May, University of Illinois
Joseph J. Santoleri, Santoleri Associates
Adel F. Sarofim, University of Utah
Laura J. Steinberg, Tulane University, and
Chadwick A. Tolman, University of Delaware
Although the reviewers listed above have provided
many constructive comments and suggestions, they were
not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommenda-
tions nor did they see the final draft of the report before
its release. The review of this report was overseen by
Hyla S. Napadensky, Napadensky Energetics, Inc. (re-
tired). Appointed by the NRC's Report Review Com-
mittee, she was responsible for making certain that an
independent examination of this report was carried out
in accordance with institutional procedures and that all
review comments were carefully considered. Responsi-
bility for the final content of this report rests entirely
with the authoring committee and the institution.
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Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1
INTRODUCTION
Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program, 7
M55 Rocket Processing, 7
Alternatives for Processing GB M55 Rockets at Anniston, 9
Statement of Task, 9
Organization of the Report, 10
M55 ROCKET STORAGE CONDITION ASSESSMENTS
Recent Assessments of Storage Conditions, 11
Agent Gelling in GB-Filled M55 Rockets, 12
Implications for Processing, 13
Stockpile Risk Considerations, 14
3 PROCESSING OF M55 ROCKETS AT JACADS AND TOCDF
Process Design for JACADS and TOCDF, 15
Loading, Transport, and Unpacking, 15
Rocket Handling System, 16
Agent Disposal, Decontamination of Metal Parts, and Destruction of
Energetics and Shipping Tubes, 17
GB M55 Rocket Disposal: Actual Versus Design Rate, 18
JACADS Rocket Disposal Operations During OVT 1, 18
TOCDF Rocket Disposal Operations, 19
Factors Affecting Operational Experience, 19
Coprocessing, 20
Process Changes from Lessons Learned, 21
Lessons from JACADS, 21
Lessons from TOCDF, 22
x~
7
11
15
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VX M55 Rocket Disposal at JACADS: Actual Versus Design Rate, 23
Comparison of GB and VX M55 Rocket Disposal Campaigns, 23
Stack Emissions, 23
Throughput Rates, 23
Safety Performance, 24
Environmental Performance, 24
Summary Observations on M55 Rocket Disposal Experience, 24
4
PROCESSING OF M55 ROCKETS AT ANCDF
Description of the Anniston Stockpile, 26
Public Concerns, 26
Original Disposal Plan for the Anniston Stockpile, 27
Modified Disposal Plan for the Anniston Stockpile, 27
Description of the Modified Plan, 27
Rationale for Implementing the Modified Plan, 29
Experimental and Modeling Results, 29
Critique of Modeling and Areas for Further Investigation, 30
Determining the Maximum Safe Operating Rate, 31
Schedule Implications, 31
Risk Implications of Accelerated Processing, 33
Public Risk, 33
Worker Risk, 34
Health and Environmental Risks, 35
Overall Risk to the Public, Workers, and the Environment, 35
Surrogate Trial Burn in the DFS, 35
Applicability of the Proposed Process for Anniston to Other Sites, 37
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
REFERENCES
APPENDIXES
NRC Recommendations on Public Involvement Reprinted from 2000 Report
ANCDF Campaign Schedule Options
Biographical Sketches of Committee Members
. .
x~
26
38
42
47
49
51
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List of Tables and Figures
TABLES
1-1 Anniston Chemical Stockpile: Number of Munitions Containing Each Agent, 9
2-1 Munition Leaks by Type of Agent, 12
4-1 Comparison of Storage Risk for the Anniston Public Under Four Different Rates of Rocket Disposal, 34
4-2 Results of ANCDF Surrogate Trial Burn Runs for the DFS, 37
B-1 ANCDF Campaign Schedule Options, 50
FIGURES
1-1 M55 chemical rocket, 8
3-1 Rocket handling system, 16
3-2 Chopping sequence for 115-mm M55 rocket, 17
. . .
x~
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Acronyms
ACAMS automatic continuous air monitoring
system
Alabama Department of Environmental
Management
ANCDF Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal
Facility
agent trial burn
ADEM
ATE
BRA
Btu
CAC
CFD
CMA
CR&E
CSDP
CWDA
DFS
DICDI
DPE
DRE
DUN
ECR
EPA
GB
brine reduction area
British thermal unit
. . . . . .
citizens advisory commission
computational fluid dynamics
Chemical Materials Agency
Continental Research & Engineering
Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program
cases with days away (from work) per
200,000 hours worked
deactivation furnace system
diisopropylcarbodiimide
demilitarization protective ensemble
destruction and removal efficiency
dunnage incinerator
explosion containment room
Environmental Protection Agency
satin, a nerve agent (methylphosphono-
fluoridate, isopropyl ester)
H
HCE
HC1
HD
HDC
HEPA
HRA
HT
HTT
mustard (blister) agent,
bis-~2-chloroethyl) sulfide
hexachloroethane
hydrogen chloride
mustard (blister) agent (distilled)
heated discharge conveyor
high-efficiency particulate air (filter)
health risk assessment
mustard (blister) agent (with additive
T. bis-~2~2-chloroethylthio) ethyl] ether,
to lower the freezing point)
high-temperature test
JACADS Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal
System
LIC
LTT
MCB
MDB
no
Ugly
mg/dscm
mm
MPF
MR&E
NC
NO
ng
xv
liquid incinerator
low-temperature test
monochlorobenzene
munitions demilitarization building
microgram, one one-millionth of a gram
micrograms per cubic meter
milligrams per dry standard cubic meter
millimeter, one one-thousandth of a
meter
metal parts furnace
Maumee Research & Engineering
nitrocellulose
nitroglycerine
nanogram, one one-billionth of a gram
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ng/m3 nanograms per cubic meter RIR recordable injury rate
NRC National Research Council RO roundout GB agent
ONC on-site container rpm revolutions per minute
OVT operational verification test RS GB agentlots restabilized with DICDI
RSM rocket shear machine
PAS pollution abatement system
PCB polychlorinated biphenyl SBCCOM Soldier Biological and Chemical
PFS PAS filter system Command
PMCD Program Manager for Chemical SOPC substances of potential concern
Demilitarization SOT statement of task
PRO preroundout GB agent
TEA tributylamine
QRA quantitative risk assessment TOCDF Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility
TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act
RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act VX a nerve agent,
RD distilled roundout GB agent O-ethyl-S-~2-isopropylaminoethyl)
RHS rocket handling system methylphosphonothiolate
xv~
