Assessment of Agent Monitoring Strategies for the Blue Grass and Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plants (2012) / Chapter Skim
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3 Agent Monitoring Practices for Waste Generated at BGCAPP and PCAPP
3 Agent Monitoring Practices for Waste Generated at BGCAPP and PCAPP
Pages 35-58
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From page 35... ...
This is not a comprehensive review because this subject was previously examined in the National Research Council (NRC) report Review of Secondary Waste Planning for the Blue Grass and Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plants (2008a)
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From page 36... ...
The characterization of the expected secondary wastes from the Pueblo and Blue Grass facilities and the planning for their disposal were described in detail in NRC, 2008a. The purpose of that study was to "provide PMACWA with a technical appraisal of its evolving plans to safely and efficiently handle, treat, and ultimately dispose of the waste materials that remain following the destruction of the assembled chemical weapons stored at PCD and BGAD" (p.
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From page 37... ...
. The secondary waste streams anticipated during normal operations for PCAPP, which only has munitions containing mustard agent, are summarized in Table 3-1.
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From page 38... ...
38 ASSESSMENT OF AGENT MONITORING STRATEGIES FOR BGCAPP AND PCAPP TABLE 3-1 Projected Amounts of Mustard-Agent-Contaminated Secondary Waste from Normal Operations at PCAPP Amount (lb) Stream Description <1 VSL >1 VSL Wood 0 56,906 Fiber tubes, additional packing material, metal strapping, 0 0 miscellaneous metal TAP gear 9,639 6,709 Steel 0 0 Lead alloy 0 0 Aluminum 18 53 Brine reduction 0 0 Water recovery thickener residue 0 0 Energetics 0 0 Brass and copper wire 0 0 Charcoal from PPE mask containers 0 2,583 Inert bulk solid waste 15,421 35,790 Halogenated waste 3,153 2,661 DPE suits 121,514 81,010 Waste oils and spent hydraulic fluid 2,416 400 Leather 437 197 Absorbents 1,534 3,554 Paper/fiberglass/rubber 0 0 Polystyrene and polyethylene 669 2,318 Combustible solid waste 2,827 2,382 Waste paint sludge 915 455 Dry cell batteries 1,828 203 Lead acid batteries 1,219 135 Mercury-containing lighting 259 29 Total 161,849 195,385 SOURCE: PCAPP answers to Question Set 5 posed by the ACWA Secondary Waste Committee, March 11, 2008.
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From page 39... ...
0 785 HEPA/prefilters 9,500 28,500 HVAC 30,690 3,410 Filtration charcoal Filter plenums 15,300 1,700 Filter ductwork 9,000 1,000 Concrete 38,775 12,925 Combustible solid waste 26,359 26,503 Waste paint sludges and other sludges 0 531 Dry cell batteries 707 79 Lead acid batteries 472 52 Mercury-containing lighting 100 11 Total 473,399 397,102 SOURCE: PCAPP answers to Question Set 5 posed by the ACWA Secondary Waste Committee, March 11, 2008.
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From page 40... ...
40 ASSESSMENT OF AGENT MONITORING STRATEGIES FOR BGCAPP AND PCAPP TABLE 3-3 Projected Secondary Waste Streams for >1 VSL Agent Contaminated Waste During Operations and Closure at BGCAPP Projected Totals (lb) a >1 VSL Waste Operationsb Closurec Combustible solids 5,242 30,879 Metal 24,737 449,457 TAP gear/rubber 555 390 Halogenated plastic 9,957 73,505 Nonhalogenated plastic 2,209 18,786 Pre-HEPA filters 1,044 13,140 Agent collection system/spent 1,082 759 decontamination solution sludge Concrete 0 50,053 Foam wall panel 0 31,371 Special coatings 0 4,052 Aluminum 0 2,149 Overpack waste 31,200 0 Total 76,068 674,540 NOTE: TAP, toxic agent protective; HEPA, high-efficiency particulate air; ACS, agent collection system; and SDS, spent decontamination solution.
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From page 41... ...
Operationsb Closurec Combustible solids 2,623 22,014 Metal 22,087 571,717 TAP gear/rubber 1,066 1,066 Halogenated plastic 14,360 151,039 Nonhalogenated plastic 1,733 20,994 3X pre-HEPA filters 82 5,084 Sludge 64 64 3X concrete 0 79,993 3X foam wall panel 0 50,136 Special coatings 0 6,475 3X aluminum 48 3,435 Total 42,063 912,017 NOTE: 3X refers to a formerly used decontamination level that indicates that the item has been surface decontaminated by locally approved procedures, has been bagged or contained in an agent tight container of sufficient volume to permit an air sample to be withdrawn while minimizing dilution with incoming air, and/or appropriate tests/monitoring have verified that concentrations are not above 0.0001 mg/m3 for agent GB, 0.00001 mg/m3 for agent VX, or 0.003 mg/m3 for H Monitoring is not required for completely decontaminated and disassembled parts that are shaped simply (no crevices, threads, or the like)
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From page 42... ...
42 ASSESSMENT OF AGENT MONITORING STRATEGIES FOR BGCAPP AND PCAPP TABLE 3-5 Estimated Agent-Contaminated Waste Stream Summary for Operations and Closure at BGCAPP Total Weight of the Waste Waste Designation (lb) Inert bulk solid waste Metal 1,243,545 Concrete 152,369 Aluminum waste 6,685 Foam core panels 95,498 Special coatings 12,333 Combustible bulk solid Nonhalogenated plastics 50,972 Tap gear 4,555 HEPA filters and prefilters 19,997 Adsorbents, cottons, rags, bulk 4,477 Paper, wood, fiberglass, rubber 63,794 Halogenated plastics 308,404 Sludge 1,997 RCRA toxic metal-bearing waste Paint chips 121 Leather gloves 224 Other 1,000 Waste oil and hydraulic fluids 1,620 Agent-contaminated activated carbon 103,488 Leaker campaign/overpack waste 15,000 Total 2,071,079 SOURCE: Adapted from BPBGT, 2006.
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From page 43... ...
One possible use of direct surface analysis using ambient ionization mass spectrometric technology could be to help resolve those instances where prior exposure 3 Examples include NRC, 1994; 2002; 2005d; 2010. 4 PCAPP Air Monitoring Strategies and Secondary Waste, discussion between Walter Waybright, PCAPP Laboratory Manager, and the committee, on June 28, 2011.
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From page 44... ...
. The 2009 NRC report Disposal of Activated Carbon from Chemical Agent Disposal Facilities described the problem in using headspace vapor analysis for one such major waste stream (activated carbon)
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From page 45... ...
For the purposes of this report, the committee's examination will focus on the most immediate and largest needs to characterize porous materials, activated carbon and concrete, which will be discussed in more detail in later sections of this chapter and in subsequent chapters. USE OF DPE SUITS DURING PLANT OPERATIONS The largest single secondary waste category generated during normal operations at PCAPP (Table 3-1)
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From page 46... ...
46 ASSESSMENT OF AGENT MONITORING STRATEGIES FOR BGCAPP AND PCAPP FIGURE 3-1 An overview of the analysis plan for PCAPP. SOURCE: Adapted from Walter Waybright, PCAPP, "PCAPP Air Monitoring Strategies and Secondary Waste Discussion," presentation to the committee on June 28, 2011.
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From page 47... ...
The waste category designations used for tabulating waste streams at the Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant and the Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant differ, thus making waste management comparisons between the two facilities difficult. For example, at one site the waste quantity estimates list waste demilitarization protective ensemble suits separately, but at the other such waste is included in halogenated plastic waste.
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From page 48... ...
This team does not look for contamination; rather, they will do a gross decontamination with the emphasis on avoiding contact with the outside surface of the suit. When the call is made for the rescue team, the other DPE-suited worker will immediately hose down or start dropping buckets of decontamination solution on the DPE-casualty worker while in the work area to provide some benefit before the rescue team
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From page 49... ...
DPE suits that have been exposed in Category A areas are assumed to be contaminated and require monitoring for agent contamination. That is typically accomplished by headspace analysis, as described in the ACWA Chemical Agent Monitoring Concept Plan (MCP)
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From page 50... ...
Any new monitoring method that could efficiently and reliably locate and quantify agent contamination may make decontamination activities more efficient by: Enabling faster identification of leaking munitions and decontamination of machinery, potentially reducing the number and/or duration of DPE-suited entries during normal plant operations, agent changeover periods, and closure activities; Reducing the total amount of secondary waste; Speeding waste disposal; and Minimizing worker exposure. CHANGEOVER OF AGENT DISPOSAL CAMPAIGNS AT BGCAPP At BGCAPP, chemical agents will be destroyed in sequential campaigns beginning with GB, which due to its relative volatility presents the greatest risk, and then proceeding to VX.
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From page 51... ...
Where possible, equipment having occluded spaces will be bagged for headspace analysis to verify contamination levels.7 If headspace analysis indicates contamination of a large piece of equipment, it might prove beneficial to have a more local, real-time probe (such as ambient ionization mass spectrometry for surface analysis) that could pinpoint the contaminated area for decontamination.
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From page 52... ...
or stored prior to chemical neutralization on-site. Examples of Type II occluded spaces include wooden pallets, spent activated carbon, polymer gaskets, pump oil, lubricating oil, porous materials (including spill pillows)
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From page 53... ...
BOX 3-5 Scenario 3D: Complex Contaminated Demilitarization Machine Needs Decontamination at Agent Changeover or Closure Activities Bagging and monitoring headspace levels is not practical for some equipment, materials, and machinery and may not be the most cost-effective approach for others. A portable ambient ionization instrument might be able to quickly survey occluded spaces and/or absorptive material components and identify the contaminated parts to direct focused decontamination or component removal to expedite treatment.
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From page 54... ...
Uncontaminated buildings may be retained based on agreement with the respective depot (Pueblo Chemical Depot or Blue Grass Army Depot) and any plans under base realignment and closure (BRAC)
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From page 55... ...
Any area or chamber that has only been exposed to agent vapor below the STEL is assumed to not be contaminated. Table 3-2 summarizes secondary wastes expected from closure operations at PCAPP and Tables 3-2 and 3-4 provide similar expectations for BGCAPP.
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From page 56... ...
BOX 3-7 Scenario 3F: Spent Activated Carbon Contamination Evaluation Spent activated carbon is likely to have bulk absorbed agent. A portable ambient ionization instrument might be able to quickly and reliably interrogate adsorbed/absorbed agent in spent activated carbon to identify contaminated materials, estimate contamination levels, and thus inform and focus decontamination or disposal activities.
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From page 57... ...
Chapters 4 and 5 will address the technical suitability of certain types of ambient ionization mass spectrometry for surface-adsorbed agent analysis. TABLE 3-6 Critical Measurement Performance Criteria for Possible Scenarios Scenario Critical Performance Criteria Categories for Measurements Detect on Surfaces Short Duty Cycle Reconfiguration Dynamic Range Precise Target Rapid Result Localization Specificity Sensitivity Portability Scanning Rapid 3A Improving worker X X X X X safety during DPE entries 3B Enabling more efficient X X X X X DPE entries 3C Process area occluded space surveys and/or absorbed agent surveys X X X X X X X during changeover or closure activities 3D Complex contaminated demilitarization machine needs decontamination at X X X agent changeover or closure activities 3E Concrete waste X X X X contamination evaluation 3F Spent activated carbon X X X contamination evaluation
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