Cole Keller - Ft Ord Artillery Range and Demilitarization
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.[1]
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.[2] 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.[3] HMX, however, does not strongly interact with soil following dissolution. This means it can penetrate into the groundwater through the Vadose Zone.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]
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.[8]
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 to be general 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.
[1] Fort Ord and BRAC History. (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2021, from https://www.fortordcleanup.com/about/fort-ord-and-brac-history/.
[2] “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. Pg 20.
[3] 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. Pgs 2,9
[4] Ibid. Pg 9.
[5] 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. Pg 67.
[6] 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. Pgs 164, 169.
[7] Toxic Substances Portal - HMX (Octogen). (1997, September). Retrieved February 01, 2021, from https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=875&tid=171. Pg 3.
[8] 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/
This topic is great and hits close to home as a military kid. I grew up near a former military training base in San Diego and questions about the environmental impact of all the ordinance used during those times were always in the back of our minds. I know that unexploded ordinance was a problem for us because in the late 80's two kids were killed by unexploded ordinance they found while playing in the canyon. I don't believe modern day Fort Ord would have any as there is always a cleanup after a base closure, however, groundwater contamination is a big problem here and you did a great job finding a good source for it. All of your sources are great and I feel like once you find some kind of plant, animal, or human that has been affected by these contaminants, you'll hit the jackpot. This is a well developed and well thought out project and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the final results!
ReplyDeleteFor the project on Fort Ord the argument is quite clear. This argument is that the persistent use of artillery on the fort’s lands have contaminated the area with many toxic chemicals, among the most prominent is the chemical HMX. HMX can have detrimental health effects when either ingested or contacted. As long as the history of the land is given enough context, the historical significance is also present, as the HMX contamination being studied is a result of the land’s usage history. This usage history is tied to the area’s use as a military installation. In addition, the region’s current history is brought up, that of it now being a nature reserve. All of the sources seem particularly relevant as well as they either deal with the history of the land or the properties of HMX, the two central focuses of the paper. The environmental aspect of the project is also clear as HMX’s interaction with the environment is what is being examined here. In addition, the effects of HMX on animals are also touched on. If one wanted to expand the project further, one could look at why the area was converted into a nature preserve. It was probably done so in order to avoid the cleanup costs necessary to convert the land to other uses. This pragmatic conversion of lands is elaborated on by “Disarming Nature” by David Havlick and “Green Intelligence” by John Wargo
ReplyDeleteHey Cole. You’ve definitely got something here that has high potential to be a really interesting topic. I’m glad you are writing about something in which humans directly had an effect on animal life. This makes the topic hit much more close to home because, let’s face it: no one wants to hear about animals dying. Unfortunately it is something that has been caused by humans, and it’s important to learn about it to be sure that it happens as little as necessary. Having said that, there was a lot of science in your blog. This is good! Science is always a good source because it’s incredibly concrete. It makes an argument harder to argue against. However, I think you could use some work on the presentation of that. Maybe it’s just me and granted, I was a C science student in both high school and college, but it was a lot to take in for me personally. The content there is great, but it may be a bit more palatable if it is broken down to the main ideas behind the science for more common folk, like myself. I think it would be a good idea to look more at the overall effects you find in your journal articles and secondary sources you found. As for a place to find more of those sources, I would look at AGRICOLA via Proquest on the UCR library databases. It’s the only reason I was able to survive my first college level science class. In it, I have little doubt you’ll be able to find some more sources that look at the effects as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI like where the project is headed to it also seems like you have been doing your research of the site that was used for testing artillery. Explaining the effects of HMX and other contaminants to the environment is a great way to hook your readers in. I feel like concentrating more on the history behind military use of testing sites could be a great way to add context to your research. Maybe look into other events such as this one that your writing about, and other events that have happened in the United States. You can compare the different effects these other events have had on the environment and align it with yours to give your research more support. The reason I mention this is because I had the same issue with my own research being a new topic as well. So far I like where your is going and I am interested in finding out more about your project once its complete.
ReplyDelete