Cole Keller - Fort Ord Artillery

 

In my research project I wanted to look at the environmental impact of artillery and rocket munitions, specifically that at Fort Ord. The base opened in 1917 as an artillery range and would soon become the training base for many different divisions, with the final occupant being the Army’s 7th Infantry Division. It would continue to operate as an artillery and training range until its close in 1994. 


  

Pictured above is an infiltration course in 1970, roughly 1.5 million soldiers were trained on base between 1940 and 1973.


The most common chemical found in the soil would be HMX, with levels found to be in the concentration of 307 milligrams per kilogram of soil taken 3 years after the base's closure in 1997. There are also lesser concentrations of RDX, at 0.25 mg/kg, and TNT, at 0.2 mg/kg, in the same soil samples. The HMX is the biggest problem in the area, with both TNT and RDX contaminants being below hazardous levels. TNT is the most dangerous for the environment, followed by RDX then HMX. That being said, for their solubility in an environment TNT is most likely to dissolve, followed by HMX then RDX. HMX, however, does not strongly interact with soil following dissolution. This means it can penetrate into the groundwater through the Vadose Zone. The dissolution of the material occurs through photolysis and biodegradation in water, but as it is slow to dissolve it may be persistent in soil. This persistence in the soil can lead to bioaccumulation in plants, with overall plant uptake averaging out to 8.6 mg of HMX per kg of uptake. It can also be toxic through ingestion. Studies finding that in animals like mice, rats, and rabbits that with a consumption exposure of 100 mg/kg per day or contact exposure of 165 mg/kg per day can have serious effects. These effects are harmful damage to their livers and central nervous systems, with only one dose being enough in Rabbits to cause such damage. 


Pictured above is the molecular structure of HMX, also known as Octogen.


Fort Ord has become primarily a Nature Reserve, with many endangered species occupying the area. Species include the Bobcat, Smith’s Blue Butterfly, and the Golden Eagle among others.


Pictured above is the Smith’s Blue Butterfly, one of several federally endangered species native to the region.


    I have been listing my sources throughout, however on Blogger it doesn't show the citations like it does in Google Docs or Word. I am focusing on scientific documents in both private journals and government published booklets. These sources include Environmental Fate of Explosives, Toxic Substances Portal - HMX (Octogen), The Nature of Munitions Constituents at DOD sites, Toxicological Profile for HMX, and Attenuation Pathways for Munitions Constituents in Soil and Groundwater. I also will be relying on historical records, for instance the Fort Ord and BRAC History article on the Fort Ord Cleanup page run by the Army Corps of Engineers. I also use supplementary sources like the National Wildlife Federation’s A Monumental Announcement for Fort Ord Wildlife article among others.


    As previously stated, the purpose of my project is to better understand how this contaminant has affected the former base. This would include the local flora and fauna, alongside the effects on humans if there are any. My plan for the next few weeks is to get into contact with researchers at the University of California Santa Cruz who specialize in Fort Ord. My plan is to also further research how the environment may have changed over time, and if there are any noticeable effects that HMX and other chemicals associated with artillery and rocket propelled munitions have had on Fort Ord.

 

Bibliography


Fort Ord and BRAC History. (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2021, from
    https://www.fortordcleanup.com/about/fort-ord-and-brac-history/. 


Kordick, J. (2016, January 06). A Monumental Announcement for Fort Ord Wildlife • The National Wildlife
    Federation Blog. Retrieved February 01, 2021, from
    https://blog.nwf.org/2012/05/a-monumental-announcement-for-fort-ord-wildlife/


Pennington, J. C., & Brannon, J. M. (2002). Environmental fate of explosives. Thermochimica Acta, 384(1-2),
    163-172. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-6031(01)00801-2.  


Rectanus, H., Darlington, R., Kucharzyk, K., & Moore, S. (2015). Naval Facilities Engineering Command,
    EXWC(EV), 1503rd ser.
    doi:https://clu-in.org/download/techfocus/na/Natural-attenpath-munitions-2015.pdf. 


Satcher, D. (1997). Toxicological profile for HMX (United States of America, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human
    Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Agency for Toxic
    Substances and Disease Registry). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Public Health
    Service, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.


“The Nature of Munitions Constituents at DOD Sites.” Hazardous Waste Consultant 30, no. 2 (February 2012):
    1.18-1.22. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=75120228&site=ehost-live.


Toxic Substances Portal - HMX (Octogen). (1997, September). Retrieved February 01, 2021, from
    https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=875&tid=171.

 

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