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Former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant

Explore the fascinating history and environmental cleanup activities of the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant, including explosive decontamination and contamination sources.

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Former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant

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  1. Former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant Kathy Baker, PM USACE-Kanas City District

  2. organization • History of the Former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant • Remediation Activities • Explosive Decontamination • Other Environmental Contamination

  3. History Of Sunflower In 1941, 10,474 acres were purchased for what was originally called Sunflower Ordnance Works. GO-CO (Government Owned-Contractor Operated) munitions production facility Production of smokeless powder and propellants for small arms, cannons and rockets started in 1943 (during WWII) , reaching its peak in 1945

  4. South Acid AreA Additional facility operations included the manufacture and regeneration of nitric and sulfuric acid, and munitions proving 200 million pounds of powder were produced during World War II

  5. History of sunflower • Ammonium Nitrate and Nitrocellulose continued to be produced in the years following World War II; but much of the plant fell inactive • During the onslaught of the Korean War • Sunflower reactivated to full capacity • Sunflower began production of nitroguanidine cannon-propellant, Mark 31 propellant grains, and JPN double-base powder • 211 million pounds of propellant produced during Korean War timeframe • Once again post-war reduction and stand-by status ensued with only sulfuric acid being produced by a Chemical Corporation on the facility

  6. NITROGUANIDINE PRODUCTION AREA History of sunflower In 1965, a need to produced 2.75 Folding Fin Air Rocket emerged and Sunflower was brought off stand-by and re-designated Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant. At this time the South Acid Area, Nitroglycerin Area were re-activated to produce the first N-5 double-base sheet propellant In 1967, the largest modernization program began and the largest construction project involved the construction of the Nitroguanidineproduction facility---only one of its kind in North America Nitroguanidine is one of three components in multi-base artillery propellant

  7. History of sunflower • The last propellant manufactured at SFAAP was rocket propellant for the Vietnam War with production ending in 1971. • Only nitric acid and sulfuric acid (needed to make organic nitrates), calcium cyanamide (required for nitroguanidine process) , oleum, and nitroguanidine were manufactured between 1971 and 1992

  8. History of sunflower • Installation listed as excess in 1997 • In 2005 approximately 9,065 acres of Sunflower property was transferred to Sunflower Redevelopment Limited Liability Corporation (SRL) under a finding of suitability for early transfer (FOSET). • SRL was given a contract for Environmental Restoration at the time of transfer. • In 2015, Army resumed clean-up activities of the former ammunition plant and continues those activities today • Many areas of the property have been or are currently leased for nonmilitary uses, such as livestock grazing, agricultural research, and light industrial use

  9. Present-Day • Army currently has the responsibility for Environmental Restoration of 9,037 acres under a partnership with EPA and KDHE; 28 acres in three responses sites were removed as “clean” from the RCRA Permit • Sunflower RCRA Permits covers 92 remediation sites • 3 have been closed and require no further action(removed from the RCRA Permit) • 4 are in the final stages to receive approval of no further action • 62 sites are being worked on currently with thatwork expected to be completed by 2023. • 23 sites remain with work not yet started;13 of those sites will be contracted before the end of September 2019. • Army expects to complete cleanup by 2028.

  10. Total of 3,723 acres of the 9,065 acres transferred are remediated

  11. Environmental contamination • How did it get there? • Wastewater lagoons/retention ponds (unlined) held spent process waters. Lagoons/Ponds were periodically dredged and sediment placed around the ponds • Underground piping leading to drainage ponds sometimes leaked • Process waters, including those from washdown of equipment and floors, were discharged to open ditches leading to retention ponds • Sewer pipes hold settled out explosives and sediment

  12. Explosive Decontamination • The focus of the Army’s cleanup work thus far has been to complete the explosive hazard decontamination. Safety concerns prohibit environmental work and construction work while clearance of munitions and explosives of concern is ongoing. • Inside sewers explosive decontamination.In 2015, the Army awarded the first contract to investigate and cleanup environmental contamination beneath explosively contaminated foundations and underneath explosively contaminated sewers inside the foundations. • Outside sewers explosive decontamination.In 2016 the Army awarded a contract to remove and decontaminate munitions and explosives from industrial sewers, foundation slabs and select foundation footing walls. This includes excavation, removal, explosive decontamination and environmental remediation work underneath explosive sewers after the explosive hazards have been removed. • A third contract for a combination of the above is being award in 2019; this contract will complete the explosive decontamination work at Sunflower

  13. AREAS REQUIRING MEC DECONTAMINATION

  14. What does Thermal decontamination consist of ?

  15. Overburden soils removed utilizing shielded excavator. Removed in lengths up to 200 ft. Sewer Pipe in the ground before excavation

  16. The Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) personnel will gain access to the interior of the piping using remote means (robotic camera) if necessary UXO personnel will visually inspect the interior of the piping and remove any significant explosives present.

  17. If sewers have been impacted by soil, UXO personnel will then dig out soils from the piping with assistance from the excavator bucket. This soil will be deposited in a container and visually inspected. Soil is tested for explosives . If the soil should happen to be explosive it will be mixed with additional non explosive soil in order to make it safe to be taken to a contaminated soil stockpile. If it is not, this soil will be moved to a contaminated soil stockpile inside the SWMU/AOC boundary.

  18. Sewers are then moved, using the excavator bucket, and transport to a temporary burn pad The TBP will already be prepared with a soil layer underneath and soil berm around the outside. Clean wooden pallets are stacked up 5 to 6 layers high. Sewer pipe will be loaded onto these pallets on the burn pad.

  19. Additional pallets will be used to cover the top of the sewer to keep the heat inside long enough to reach the necessary temperatures for thermal decontamination of the sewer. Ignition is accelerated by hay and a small amount of diesel fuel

  20. The sewers are run through a shaker screen and all material 3” or less falls out. This material is then taken to the rind soil stockpile and will eventually be taken to a landfill. Material larger than 3” is taken to a sewer stockpile and stored for later reuse by the landowner. This material consists of vitrified clay pipe, concrete pipe (sometimes with wire mesh reinforcement) and concrete encased vitrified clay pipe. Once surrounding soils are verified clean backfilling occurs

  21. Chunks of Nitrocellulose found

  22. Problems encountered 1 2 3 Storm sewer Recovered Nitrocellulose water Acid sewer

  23. Foundation removal AOC 16 -During AOC 16 - Before Bulk Nitrocellulose After

  24. Environmental Sampling after slab removal

  25. Other Environmental Contaminants • Army currently has 3 RCRA Facility Investigation and document production contracts and will be adding a 4th in 2019 • The areas requiring remediation located at SFAAP include surface impoundments (settling lagoons and wastewater ponds), ditches, sumps, munitions proving ranges, burning grounds, and landfills. • Sunflower has a mixture of other contaminants in soil and groundwater that require remediation • Asbestos in soils such as transite siding and floor mastic, nitrate, ammonia, sulfate, metals (lead) and explosives • Several landfills exist at Sunflower

  26. Process Site Clean Up • RCRA Facility Investigations(RFIs) are currently being conducted at sites which have either not been investigated to date or require further delineation. Both soil and groundwater are investigated • These RFIs either lead to no further action or to a Corrective Measures Decision • Examples of Corrective Measures at Sunflower include excavation of contaminated media and disposal at an off-site certified landfill, cover replacement or upgrade of cover on landfills, and groundwater monitoring • Currently Army has one Corrective Measure Implementation (CMI) Contract active at Sunflower to implement corrective measures at sites with completed RFIs. Army projects adding at least one other CMI contract in the next couple years. • Once Corrective Measures have been Implemented the site is submitted for closure to KDHE/EPA. • Depending on future use predictions and cost/benefit analysis sites are cleaned up to residential or industrial use scenarios

  27. questions

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