2014 Select Munitions Disposal Operations in US Coastal Waters

Select Munitions Disposal Operations

In US Coastal Waters

Geoff Carton, CALIBRE Systems, Inc

5th International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - May 2015

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Agenda

• Context for disposals in US waters

• Sources of underwater military munitions (UWMM)

• Disposal methods

• Disposal sites in US waters

• Disposal of chemical warfare materiel (CWM) in

US waters

• USS Elinor

• SS Ralston

• Operation Cut Holes and Sink ‘Em (CHASE)

• Conclusions

Context for Military Munitions

Disposals in US Waters

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Sources of UWMM in US Coastal Waters

Military munitions are present in US waters as a result of:

• Live-fire testing and training

– Current (ongoing)

– Past (e.g., closed installations, defense sites, such as forts, coastal artillery

batteries)

• Combat operations (Acts of War through WWII)

• Sea disposal (ended in 1970)

• Accidents (periodic) and disposal (e.g., jettisoning) during

emergencies

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History of US Sea Disposal Operations

• Military forces have always needed to dispose of excess, obsolete

and unserviceable military munitions

– Excess inventory following conflicts

– Munitions for weapon systems no longer in DoD’s weapon system

inventory (e.g., cannon balls)

– Deteriorating munitions (e.g., leaking or exuding) or munitions not

performing as designed

– Captured enemy munitions

• Disposals were generally conducted following

orders, specific regulations, policy, etc.

– Done to minimize potential hazards

– Most disposals were coordinated with various

interested agencies (e.g., ports, Fish and

Wildlife Service)

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History of US Sea Disposal Operations

• Disposal options were limited, particularly for chemical warfare

materiel (CWM)

– Use as intended (e.g., during training)

– Demilitarize (e.g., open burn

or open detonation

– Salvage

– Burial on land

– Disposal in water

• Disposals and co-disposals included:

− Conventional and chemical munitions

− Bulk materials (explosives and chemical agent)

− Other materials (e.g., low-level radiological waste)

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• Department of Defense (DoD) conducted sea disposals from at least the late 1800s (conventional), early 1900s (CWM) and ended in 1970

• Requirements become stricter over time

• Known disposals:

– Distance from shore 8 to over 400 km (5 to over 250 mi)

– Depths from 15 to 4,875 m (50 to 16,000 ft)

• Designated sites

− Were generally 260 km2 (100 mi2)

− Posted on nautical charts

− Others may have used for disposal of industrial and municipal wastes

• DoD used for:

− Chemical warfare materiel (CWM)

− Conventional munitions

UWMM Disposal Sites in US Waters

Disposal Methods

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Over the Side Disposal

Results in linear

trails such as

seen in the above

SONAR data

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Consolidated Disposal

Disposal Sites in US Waters

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Source: Chapter 10, Sea Disposal of Military Munitions, FY 09 Defense Environmental Programs Annual Report to Congress (ARC)

CWM disposal site

UWMM Disposal Sites in US Waters (Pacific)

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Source: Chapter 10, Sea Disposal of Military Munitions, FY 09 Defense Environmental Programs ARC

CWM disposal site

UWMM Disposal Sites in US Waters (Atlantic & Gulf)

Disposal of CWM in US Waters

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About 29,000 metric tons (MT) of chemical agent was disposed

in US waters

• Events ranged from a few items to 1,000s of MT

• Individual items could be grams to over 1,135 kilograms (2,500 pounds)

Source: Chapter 10, Sea Disposal of Military Munitions,

FY 09 Defense Environmental Programs ARC

Lewisite, 41%

Mustard, 52%

Nerve agent

(GB, VX, GA),

1%

Arsenic, AsCl3,

Cl2S2, 2%

Phosgene, 0%

Unspecified agent,

3% Blood agents

(CK, AC), 1%

How Much CWM was Disposed in US Waters?

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Percent of chemical agent disposal by kilometers from shore

Percent of chemical agent disposal by depth in meters

Graphs based on net chemical agent weight, FY09 ARC data Conventional munitions disposals are also reported in the ARC

Over 3,050 (10,000 ft)

61%

1,830-3,050 (6,000-10,000 ft)

7%

305-1,829 (1,000-5,999 ft)

28%

Under 305 (1,000 ft)

2% Unknown

2%

Unknown 2%

Under 19 (10 NM)

2%

19-185 (10-100 NM)

63%

Over 185 (100 NM)

33%

CWM Disposal in US Waters

USS Elinor

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• Disposal in 1919

• Sailed from Baltimore to New York disposing of CWM along

the way

– Began disposal 15-miles from Chesapeake Bay

– 2,230 gross MT (2,460 tons) of munitions and containers disposed

– 75mm mustard rounds and bulk containers of phosgene

• Over the side disposal

USS Elinor (Disposal Site AC-02)

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1919 Opinion on USS Elinor Disposal

“Two hundred thousand gas shells and some large containers of poison gas, have just been dumped into the sea. We had manufactured these shells and had sent them to France, where they arrived too late. Therefore they were sent back to America in a transport which after unloading other cargo at Baltimore steamed out to sea and consigned the poison to the depths, where it may profit the fishes. On one point we are not clear. Was there no water on the other side of the Atlantic deep enough to put these shells out of danger? Are we going to use up more valuable cargo space bringing back munitions and materials to be dumped into the sea?”

The New Republic, 15 March 1919

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USS Elinor (Disposal Site AC-02)

• Disposal over a distance of roughly

325 km (200 miles)

• 75mm round is about 0.3 by 0.08 m

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Recovered 75mm Mustard-filled Shells

SS William Ralston

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SS Ralston (Disposal Site CA-10)

• Scuttled 19 April 1958

• Loaded with:

– 301,000 100 lb Mustard bombs

About 8,275 MT (9,120 tons) mustard

– 1,080 ton containers of Lewisite

About 1,300 MT (1,436 tons) Lewisite

• 4,115 m (13,500 ft) deep

• 188 km (117 mi) from shore

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Unloading

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Scuttling

Operation CHASE

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Operation CHASE Overview

• Consolidated disposals

• 19 Disposal events between 1964 and 1970 – 16 involving explosives

– 3 involving CWM

– One had residual CWM and explosives

• Explosive munitions – Gross weight of 84,210 MT (92,824 tons)

– Net explosive weight about 11,700 MT (12,889 tons)

– Disposal depths from 850 to 3,800 m (2,800 to 12,500 ft)

– Over 10 miles from shore

• Detonations occurred as part of 12 disposals

• CHASE 6, failed to detonate as planned

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• Chemical warfare materiel

– Gross weight of 17,630 (19,432 tons)

– Net chemical agent weight (NCAW) about 4,310 MT (4,747 tons)

– Disposal depths from 2,050 to 5,000 m (6,800 to 16,500 ft)

• M55 Rockets placed in steel vaults (CHASE 8, 10, 11)

– Vaults were filled with concrete

– Testing showed vaults would develop pinhole leaks at time of

disposal

– About 99.9% of the disposed Sarin would be expected to be

destroyed after 159 hours in seawater

– Vaults would minimize mixing with seawater for years

Operation CHASE Overview

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CHASE 8

CHASE 11 CHASE 12

CHASE 10

Operation CHASE CWM Disposals

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CHASE Year Cargo type Depth (feet)

Cargo Gross

Weight (ton)

Net Explosive

Weight (ton) Detonated? Coast

1 1964 Explosives 6,590 9,799 Unknown No Pacific

2 1964 Explosives 7,440 7,349 Unknown Yes Atlantic

3 1965 Explosives 4,380 4,040 512 Yes Atlantic


5 1966 Explosives 12,500 7,500 1,625 Yes Pacific

6 1967 Explosives 2,800 6,600 2,327 Failed AK


8 1967 Chemicals 7,200 9,005 NA No Atlantic

9 1967 Explosives 7,595 833 Unknown No Atlantic



12 1968

Explosives \

1-ton containers 7,800 7,437 138 No Atlantic

13 Cancelled Chemicals NA NA NA -- NA






19 1970 Explosives 8,310 5,245 478 Yes Pacific




Totals 112,256 12,889

Chemical 19,432

Explosives 92,824

Summary of Operation CHASE Disposals

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Operation CHASE CWM Disposals

Event Fill Munition or Container Type Unit Quantity NCAW per unit (lbs)

Total NCAW (Ton)

Site NY-01 CHASE 8 GB - Sarin Rocket, Chemical Each 7,380 11 42 CHASE 8 H - Mustard Ton Container Each 4,577 1,885 4,314 CHASE 8 Riot control agent Drum Each 15 NA NA CHASE 8 Industrial NA - caustic Bag 88 NA NA CHASE 11 GB - Sarin Rocket, Chemical Each 21,900 11 125 CHASE 11 GB - Sarin Ton Container Each 19 1,600 15

CHASE 11 Other 30 and 50 gallon Drum, Arsenic Each 60 543 16

CHASE 11 Other 30 and 50 gallon, Cyanide Each 60 176 5 CHASE 11 Unknown agent Ton container Each 28 1,900 27 CHASE 11 VX Rocket, Chemical Each 21,900 11 117 CHASE 11 VX Ton Container Each 19 1,500 14 CHASE 11 Methyl bromide Cylinder Each 4 NA NA CHASE 12 Water Ton Container, H-contaminated Each 3,500 NA NA

CHASE 12 Explosive Ammunition, Explosives and Propellant

Ton, Short 2,444 NA NA

Site FL-02 CHASE 10 GB - Sarin 155 mm Projectile Each 3 7 0.0 CHASE 10 GB - Sarin Rocket, Chemical Each 12,508 11 71 CHASE 10 VX Mine, Land, Chemical Each 1 11 0.0

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Conclusion…

• It was once acceptable to dispose of waste of many

kinds in our rivers, streams, lakes and oceans

• Governments and individuals made informed

decisions based on the challenges, knowledge and

perception of risk at the time

• Most, if not all, disposals were governed by direct

orders or regulations

• Methods of disposal changed based on changing perception of risk

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Geoff Carton CALIBRE Systems, Inc

Alexandria, Virginia, USA

[email protected]

Engineering

2014 Select Munitions Disposal Operations in US Coastal Waters