Systems and Technologies for the Treatment of Non-Stockpile Chemical Warfare Materiel (2002) / Chapter Skim
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2: The Toolbox of Non-Stockpile Treatment Options
2: The Toolbox of Non-Stockpile Treatment Options
Pages 17-45
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From page 17... ...
This secondary waste treatment could take place in a commercial treatment, storage, and disposal facility (TSDF) or could employ one or more of the individual alternative technologies, such as chemical oxidation, either at the site where chemical neutralization takes place or at an off-site location.
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From page 18... ...
Tent and foam Small reactor in which individual CAIS vials or bottles can be crushed and neutralized Mobile trailer system in which explosively configured munitions are explosively accessed and their chemical contents are neutralized Mobile system potentially usable for the destruction of explosively configured munitions without neutralization of their chemical contents High-temperature technology for direct destruction of agent or for destruction of secondary waste streams produced by the RRS, EDS, and other systems Low-temperature technology potentially applicable to destruction of liquid secondary waste streams produced by the RRS, EDS, and other systems Moderate-temperature technology potentially applicable to the destruction of liquid secondary waste streams produced by the RRS, EDS, and other systems High-temperature technology still at the R&D stage that is potentially applicable to destruction of neat agent and CAIS vials Low-temperature technology for hydrolysis of neat chemical agents and binary precursors Historic blow-in-place method for destroying dangerous munitions Partially contained blow-in-place method for destroying dangerous munitions
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From page 19... ...
, Arkansas. Both MAPS and PBNSF are designed to treat non-stockpile chemical agents by an array of neutralization technologies, although future facilities might be based on other treatment methods.
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From page 20... ...
20 / O O few ° a ~,,J~II ' ~ I L W
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From page 21... ...
Using chemical neutralization rather than incineration to destroy chemical agents may also alleviate public concerns about potential hazardous air emissions. In the case of MAPS, the Army appears to have worked diligently to gain the confidence of local public interest 2While some interest groups have advocated storage of neutralent waste streams until a viable technology alternative to incineration can be developed, the Army has indicated that it would not consider long-term storage of secondary wastes at PBA.
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From page 22... ...
Description At four of the eight storage locations in the United States (Tooele Chemical Disposal Facility, Utah [TOCDF] ; Anniston Chemical Activity, Alabama; Umatilla Chemical Depot, Oregon; and Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas)
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From page 23... ...
Public Concerns The histories of the stockpile program, the non-stockpile program, and the use of mobile incinerators in hazardous waste site cleanups demonstrate that classical incineration often generates strong public opposition. There are concerns over the impact on local communities of the potential emission of small amounts of chemical agents not destroyed, as well as low concentrations of chemicals that are inevitably formed inside incinerators (e.g., polychlorinated dibenzodioxins)
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From page 24... ...
The stockpile chemical disposal facilities (CDFs) are technically capable of safely disposing of a portion of the non-stockpile inventory, including secondary wastes, but could face challenging regulatory and public acceptability hurdles, especially if they accepted NSCWM from other sites or out of state.
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From page 25... ...
treatment standards. While neutralents may contain very low levels of chemical agents, they present a risk similar to commercial hazardous waste and may be safely managed in commercial TSDFs.
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From page 26... ...
Neutralents and rinsates from the EDS used at Rocky Mountain Arsenal have been destroyed at Safety-Kleen's commercial hazardous waste incinerator in Deer Park, Texas. Technica/ /ssues Incineration technology is well developed.
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From page 27... ...
27 Ultimately, the Army and the state regulators must decide whether commercial facilities for the treatment or disposal of hazardous waste are the most appropriate approach after weighing all relevant factors, including technical feasibility, safety, legal and regulatory restrictions, willingness of the commercial facility to accept the material, timing, costs, and public concerns. Commercial rotary kiln incinerators have successfully destroyed secondary wastes from the destruction of non-stockpile materiel and are capable of handling a wide range of contaminated liquids, solids, and sludges.
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From page 28... ...
Explosive Destruction System The EDS is a trailer-mounted mobile system that is intended to destroy explosively configured chemical warfare munitions that are deemed to be unsafe to transports or store routinely. It can also be used to destroy limited numbers of stable chemical munitions, with or without explosive components, when the quantity of these munitions does not require the use of other higher-capacity destruction systems.
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From page 29... ...
Description The RKS contains a series of linked glove boxes equipped to remove CAIS vials and bottles from their packages, identify their contents, and neutralize those containing chemical agents (see Figure 2-2~. CAIS containing sulfur mustard (H/ LID)
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From page 30... ...
If only a few CAIS vials are found at a site, PMNSCM proposes to deploy the single CAIS accessing and neutralization system (SCANS) system once its development is complete (see below)
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From page 31... ...
The SCANS could be deployed quickly to sites with only a limited number of CAIS vials or bottles, thus avoiding the time and expense associated with deployment of the RRS. Description The SCANS reactor is a small, disposable container used to access and treat CAIS vials or bottles containing chemical agents.
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From page 32... ...
, SCANS offers the advantage of neutralizing the agent on-site and thereby reducing the concentration of chemical agents to de minimis levels and greatly reducing risk during transport. Public Concerns Because SCANS is expected to use the same basic neutralization and secondary waste treatment processes as the RRS, public concerns about the two are expected to be similar.
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From page 33... ...
The solids, which are contaminated with chemical agent and explosives residues, were sent to a commercial hazardous waste incinerator for disposal. After the detonation, the atmosphere in the blast chamber clears fairly rapidly, permitting reentry for maintenance and placement of the next round.
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From page 34... ...
Plasma Arc Plasma arc is a very high temperature process that could be used to destroy neat agent or secondary waste streams resulting from agent neutralization. It is also suitable for destroying metal parts, dunnage, and energetics.
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From page 35... ...
PMNSCM has proposed that plasma arc technology be used primarily for the destruction of neutralent waste streams, although it may be a candidate for the direct destruction of the binary CWM components DF and QL stored at Pine Bluff Arsenal. Based on the MGC/PLASMOX tests, the throughput rate for neutralent processing is approximately 13 liters per hour, with a 50 percent availability.
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From page 36... ...
36 1 ~ cn ° I ~1 to ~ _ of .
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From page 37... ...
Finding 2-10. At least some plasma arc systems appear to be robust technology capable of highly efficient destruction of a variety of non-stockpile agents and secondary waste streams in a safe, environmentally acceptable manner.
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From page 38... ...
The testing will determine the applicability of this technology to non-stockpile waste streams and identify the issues to be resolved in scaling it up and commercializing it for these applications. Regu/atory Approva/ and Permitting issues Provided that chemical oxidation can be demonstrated to be effective in destroying NSCWM liquid secondary waste streams, no particular problems are anticipated in obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals.
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From page 39... ...
Batch SCWO is still being considered for direct treatment of CAIS vials and bottles and, in the longer term, to replace the neutralization of agent released from chemical munitions following explosive accessing inside the EDS containment vessel. The advantage of the latter process would be that all operations are carried out in one vessel and that it avoids the production of secondary liquid waste streams requiring further treatment.
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From page 40... ...
All were found to have serious deficiencies in one area or another, especially in comparison with the technologies that the committee considered most promising: chemical oxidation, wet air oxidation, and plasma arc. Consequently, the committee recommended that no further investment be made in developing electrochemical oxidation, supercritical water oxidation (continuous mode)
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From page 41... ...
Overall, chemical hydrolysis is attractive for the destruction of chemical agents and their precursors because it is simple and well proven, uses standard commercial process equipment, and operates under mild temperature and pressure. Neutra/ization of Binary Components Chemical neutralization is being considered for disposal of the PEA inventory of the chemicals DF (CH3POF2)
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From page 42... ...
Regula tory approval and permitting should be much easier than for technologies employing high temperatures or pressures. However, a large amount of secondary waste is produced by neutralization processes, which requires further treatment prior to ultimate disposal.
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From page 43... ...
The gases flow from the secondary tent through the acid gas scrubber and demister and then through the carbon high-efficiency gas absorbers and a high-efficiency particulate absorber. Although some gases are expected to escape the system, most of the toxic chemical agent fill of the munition will be either consumed during the detonation or captured in the air pollution control system.
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From page 44... ...
Individual CAIS vials are usually placed in cardboard mailing tubes and then packed in the MRC with vermiculite to act as a cushioning material. Complete PIGs can also be transported in the MRC 12x56, which was designed with this .
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From page 45... ...
MRCs will be an extremely valuable asset if the Army pursues the transportation of small quantities of 45 recovered CAIS to the RRS or commercial disposal facilities or the disposal of NSCWM at stockpile disposal facilities. Finding 2-13b.
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