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, Sep. 2019 (96MB PDF)
for the possession of M101 depleted uranium (DU) spotting rounds and fragments.
During quarterly sampling events, collocated surface water and sediment samples were collected
from points downstream from the radiation control areas (RCAs) to determine if any DU is leaving the RCAs., April 2019 (24 MB PDF)
, U.S. NRC, Sep. 3, 2020
NRC releases Implementation Plan for Identification of Depleted Uranium on U.S. Military Ranges and its Licensing Status:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff developed this implementation plan to
identify depleted uranium (DU) spent munitions, armor, and other items, used on U.S. military ranges (for training and other purposes) and determine its licensing status. The plan's primary objective is to provide the strategy that will enable the NRC to confirm that all DU on active or inactive military ranges is either authorized by an NRC license or addressed through the NRC/U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Coordination on Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Response Actions at DoD Sites with Radioactive Materials.
> Download: Implementation Plan For Identification Of Depleted Uranium On U.S. Military Ranges And Its Licensing Status , Feb. 22, 2019 (451kB PDF)
> Download: Memorandum Of Understanding between the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the United States Department Of Defense for Coordination on CERCLA Response Actions at DOD Sites with Radioactive Materials , Apr. 28, 2016 (580kB PDF)
NRC will hold a public meeting to confirm oversight of DU on firing ranges on May 31, 2019.
> Download: Public Meeting Announcement · Meeting Slides
> View meeting details
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NRC approves reduced frequency of environmental monitoring for Army sites with M101 spotting rounds:
On Oct. 8, 2020, NRC approved the Army Installation Management Command's request for an amendment to Source Materials License No. SUC-1593 to reduce the required frequency of sediment and surface water sampling from quarterly to semiannual.
> Access related documents , Oct. 8, 2020
NRC approves revised environmental radiation monitoring plans for M101 spotting rounds at Army installations:
On Nov. 1, 2018, the NRC amended Source Materials License No. SUC-1593 which authorizes possession only of depleted uranium (DU) from the Davy Crockett M101 spotting rounds.
The amendment incorporates by reference the revised final site-specific Environmental Radiation Monitoring Plans (ERMPs) for Fort Polk (Louisiana), Fort Riley (Kansas), and the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) (Hawaii).
> Federal Register Volume 83, Number 216 (Wednesday, November 7, 2018) p. 55759-55761 (download full text )
> Access Docket ID NRC-2018-0242
> Download NRC letter to Army Installation Command , Oct. 30, 2018 (189kB PDF)
> Download License Amendment No.3 , Oct. 30, 2018 (118kB PDF)
> Download Safety Evaluation Report, Source Materials License No. SUC-1593, Depleted Uranium from Davy Crockett M101 Spotting Rounds - Amendment No. 3 , Oct. 2018 (191kB PDF)
NRC announces opportunity to request a hearing on proposed amendment to environmental radiation monitoring plans for M101 spotting rounds at Army installations:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received an
application from the U.S. Army Installation Management Command (Army)
for amendment of Source Materials License No. SUC-1593 which authorizes
possession only of depleted uranium (DU) from the Davy Crockett M101
spotting rounds. The amendment would allow the Army to correct sizing/
scaling errors in Figure 1-2 of the Fort Polk, Fort Riley, and
Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) Site-Specific Environmental Radiation
Monitoring Plan (ERMP) annexes to the Programmatic ERMP.
A request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene must
be filed by February 9, 2018.
> Federal Register Volume 82, Number 236 (Monday, December 11, 2017), p. 58221-58223 (download full text )
> Access Docket ID NRC-2017-0036
NRC approves environmental radiation monitoring plans for M101 spotting rounds at Army installations:
"In a letter dated September 15, 2016 , the Army submitted documents as required by License Conditions (LCs) 18 and 19 of Source Materials License No. SUC-1593, Amendment 1 to the NRC. The NRC reviewed the Army's submittal in support of LC 18, and found that each site-specific environmental radiation monitoring plan (ERMP) is consistent with the previously approved programmatic approach for preparation of site-specific ERMPs. Therefore, the NRC determined that these plans are acceptable. Also, in support of LC 19, the NRC verified that the Army provided site-specific dose assessments for each Radiation Control Area (RCA) demonstrating that doses from each RCA did not exceed 1.0 x 10-2 mSv/yr (1.0 mrem/yr) TEDE."
> A request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene must
be filed by April 10, 2017.
> Federal Register Volume 82, Number 26 (Thursday, February 9, 2017) p. 10031-10033 (download full text )
> Download related documents (NRC)
NRC issues Possession License to U.S. Army for depleted uranium from Davy Crockett M101 Spotting Rounds dispersed at multiple installations - no cleanup planned:
> Download NRC release Mar. 21, 2016 (PDF)
> Federal Register Volume 81, Number 59 (Monday, March 28, 2016) p. 17209 (download full text )
> Download NRC license , Mar. 21, 2016 (PDF)
> Download Safety Evaluation Report , March 2016 (4.3MB PDF)
Hundreds of pounds of depleted uranium likely buried at Fort Carson, Colorado -- clean-up too expensive, Army says:
The Cold War legacy of nuclear waste at Fort Carson was quietly exposed in a routine application by the Army for a Nuclear Regulatory Commission permit to leave uranium buried on the post.
Depleted uranium, as much as 600 pounds, is thought to be in the ground at several sites from training shells fired in a 1960s classified program to give soldiers a nuclear-tipped bazooka called the Davy Crockett, according to Army documents. The training rounds were smaller spotting shells to train crews on the use of the atomic weapon without the big boom and a mushroom cloud. The Davy Crockett was never fired in combat.
Since discovering the uranium munitions in Hawaii in 2005, the service has done 10 years of detective work to figure out which bases participated in the testing program.
The Army says 12,405 acres may have been contaminated during the Davy Crockett days. Fort Carson is joined on the roster by installations in Hawaii, Washington state, Georgia, Kentucky, Kansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina and California.
Fort Carson says no depleted uranium was found during post inspections, which included use of radiation detectors. But poor record-keeping in the 1960s leaves the issue in doubt.
It is known that troops trained with the weapon at Fort Carson. And training, the Army's Installation Management Command in Texas surmised, likely left depleted uranium residue - a low-radiation byproduct of uranium enrichment for reactors and weapons.
"The Army's position is that the Army fired the M101 spotting round from the Davy Crockett weapons system at Fort Carson," said Army Installation Management Command spokeswoman Cathy Kropp.
The Army says the waste at Fort Carson and other installations is too expensive to clean up - the cost is estimated at more than $300 million nationwide and $25 million in Colorado.
So it is asking the federal nuclear watchdog agency for permission to leave the waste where it may have been for 50 years - in the soil of Colorado and 11 other states.
(The Gazette Oct. 17, 2015)
U.S. Army Installation Command requests NRC licence amendment to include 17 sites that possess depleted uranium from the Davy Crockett M101 Spotting Rounds:
A request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene must be filed by November 3, 2015.
> Federal Register Volume 80, Number 172 (Friday, September 4, 2015) p. 53586-53588 (download full text )
> Download: license amendment application , June 1, 2015
> Download: current Source Materials License No. SUC-1593 , Oct. 23, 2013
> Access: Docket ID NRC-2015-0209
U.S. Army Installation Command requests NRC licence for possession of M101 spotting round:
The requested license will authorize the possession of residual quantities of depleted uranium system at US Department of Army Installations.
The initial discovery of depleted uranium from the M101 spotting round was at locations within Hawaii and at Fort Hood, TX. Additional installations where the M101 spotting round has been found include: Fort Benning, GA; Fort Campbell, KY; Fort Carson, CO; Fort Hood, TX; Fort Knox, KY; Fort Lewis, WA; Fort Riley, KS; Schofield Barracks, HI; and Pohakuloa Training Area, HI. Installations currently subject to further investigation include: Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD; Fort Dix, NJ; and Makua Military Reservation, HI. A common characteristic of the sites where the M1 01 spotting round fragments are located is that they are well within the installation boundary and are located in an impact area where access
is strictly controlled.
A total of 75,318 M101 spotting rounds were originally produced. Each depleted
uranium projectile body weighed about 206 g. Given a composition of 92 percent depleted uranium and 8 percent molybdenum, 190 g of depleted uranium was contained within each round.
This U.S. NRC license application is for authorization to possess and manage depleted uranium present at US Army installations as a result of previous use of depleted uranium. Specific functions to be performed under the license will be limited to radiological surveys as necessary to fully characterize the nature and extent of contamination and, when appropriate, to obtain information necessary to support development of decommissioning plans. Depleted uranium possessed pursuant to this license may also be subjected to disposal by transfer to a properly permitted/licensed disposal facility.
> Download Licence Application Nov. 6, 2008 (ADAMS ML090070095)
[Federal Register: September 26, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 187)] [Page 50795-50843], download full text
Department of Defense
32 CFR Part 178Closed, Transferred, and Transferring Ranges Containing Military Munitions; Proposed Rule
"SUMMARY: The Department of Defense (DoD) is proposing a rule that identifies a process for evaluating appropriate response actions on closed, transferred, and transferring military ranges. Response actions will address safety, human health, and the environment. This rule contains a five-part process that is not inconsistent with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and is tailored to the special risks posed by military munitions and military ranges. All closed, transferred, and transferring military ranges will be identified. A range assessment will be conducted in which a site-specific accelerated response (various options for protective measures, including monitoring) will be implemented. If these measures are not sufficient, a more detailed site- specific range evaluation will be conducted. Recurring reviews will be conducted, and an administrative close-out phase also is included.
DATES: Written comments on this proposed rule will be accepted until December 26, 1997." [...]
"6. Depleted Uranium
Depleted uranium (DU) is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment processes. DU is used in the commercial sector by the aircraft industry as counterweights, by the power industry as radiation shielding, and by the military as an armor-piercing projectile due to its hardness, strength, and density. DU's potential radiation exposure is small. As an alpha particle emitter, its radiation does not penetrate human skin or even ordinary paper. DU may be present on closed, transferred, and transferring ranges. DU is regulated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission." [...]
"Armor-penetrating projectiles and fragments of depleted uranium (DU) have been deposited in soils at weapon-tested sites. Soil samples from these military facilities were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction to determine U concentrations and transport across an arid ecosystem. Under arid conditions, both vertical transport driven by evaporation (upward) and leaching (downward) and horizontal transport of U driven by surface runoff in the summer were observed. Upward vertical transport was simulated and confirmed under laboratory-controlled conditions, to be leading to the surface due to capillary action via evaporation during alternating wetting and drying conditions. In the field, the 92.8% of U from DU penetrators and fragments remained in the top 5 cm of soil and decreased to background concentrations in less than 20 cm. In locations prone to high amounts of water runoff, U concentrations were reduced significantly after 20 m from the source due to high surface runoff. Uranium was also transported throughout the ecosystem via plant uptake and wild animal consumption between trophic levels, but with limited accumulation in edible portions in plants and animals." (emphasis added)Horizontal and Vertical Transport of Uranium in an Arid Weapon-Tested Ecosystem
, by Joseph A. Kazery, Rui Yang, Li Bao, et al., in: ACS Earth Space Chem. 2022, 6, 5, 1321-1330
> See also:
Developing a novel computer visualization system to simulate the uranium upward transport mechanism: Uranium pollution in arid landscapes , by Joshua E. Lou, Lucas F. Larson, Samuel M. Han, et al., in: MethodsX 9 (2022) 101794 (open access)
"Yuma Proving Grounds (YPG) in western Arizona is a testing range where Depleted uranium (DU) penetrators have been historically fired. A portion of the fired DU penetrators are being managed under controlled conditions by leaving them in place. The widespread use of DU in armor-penetrating weapons has raised environmental and human health concerns. The present study is focused on the onsite management approach and on the potential interactions with plants local to YPG.Depleted Uranium Toxicity, Accumulation, and Uptake in Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda) and Aristida purpurea (Purple Threeawn), by Butler AD, Wynter M, Medina VF, et al., in: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, aheadofprint, March 26, 2016
A 30 day study was conducted to assess the toxicity of DU corrosion products (e.g., schoepite and meta-schoepite) in two grass species that are native to YPG, Bermuda (Cynodon dactylon) and Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea). In addition, the ability for plants to uptake DU was studied.
The results of this study show a much lower threshold for biomass toxicity and higher plant concentrations, particularly in the roots than shoots, compared to previous studies." (emphasis added)
The Army holds a license to possess 36 Curies of depleted uranium metal alloy, that is equivalent to approx. 91 metric tonnes of depleted uranium metal.
The King of Arizona (KOFA) firing range is the portion of YPG which is used for testing of depleted uranium (DU) ammunitions.
(DTSC)
[Note: for comparison: the U.S. drinking water standard for uranium is 30 parts per billion.]
· Profile Report on China Lake
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"Environmental Impact Statements and Regulations; Availability of EPA Comments
[...]
Draft EISs
[...]
ERP No. D-USN-K11108-CA Rating EC2, China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, Proposed Military Operational Increases and Implementation of Associated Comprehensive Land Use and Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans, Located on the North and South Ranges, Inyo, Kern and San Bernardino Counties, CA.Summary: EPA raised environmental concerns about potential impacts associated with past use of munitions containing depleted uranium (DU), potential impacts associated with continued or renewed use of DU munitions under any of the fully-evaluated alternatives, and the Navy's environmental restoration efforts to date for DU contamination. EPA also raised concerns about potential air quality impacts associated with the project's implementation, including emissions of air toxics, which can be potentially reduced with mitigation. [...]"
> See also info on Draft EIS
Federal Register: July 11, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 131) p. 39804-39808 (download full text )
"The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of a license amendment to Materials License 42-23539-01AF issued to the Department of the Air Force (the licensee), to authorize decommissioning of its Test Area C-74L at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.A request for a hearing must be filed within thirty (30) days of February 3, 2003.
The licensee currently possesses radioactive material under a master materials license of broad scope. The licensee uses radioactive material for a variety of reasons. On May 24, 2002, the Air Force submitted a Decommissioning Plan (DP) to the NRC and requested approval to begin decommissioning of a site previously used by the Air Force for depleted uranium munitions testing between 1974-1978. The area is known as Test Area C-74L and is located at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The licensee previously conducted limited decommissioning at the site and desires to conduct additional decommissioning with the goal of free-releasing the property for unrestricted use. [...]"
Note: Other than stated in the Federal Register Notice, the decommissioning plan and the supporting documents are NOT available on NRC's ADAMS system (as of Feb. 7, 2003).
"By letters dated May 24 and November 1, 2002, the licensee submitted a decommissioning plan (DP) and supplemental information regarding decommissioning of Test Area C-74L at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The area was used for depleted uranium (DU) munitions testing during the 1970's. The DP indicates that approximately 3200 kg of DU remains at the 4-acre site. This site has been initially classified as a Group 4 decommissioning project per NUREG-1757, Volume 1.Notes:
The Air Force proposes the following site specific acceptance criteria in the decommissioning process:(Regional technical assistance request form, January 29, 2003)
- Building interior DCGLW: 99 dpm/100 cm2 (net alpha) using COMPASS computer code; documented in calculation CE-Eglin-001.
- Building exterior DCGLW: 5000 dpm/100 cm2 (net alpha) using USACE EM-385-1-80/Table 6-4 and Regulatory Guide 1.86.
- Equipment DCGLW: 5000 dpm/100 cm2 (net alpha) using USACE EM-385-1-80/Table 6-4 and Regulatory Guide 1.86.
- Soil DCGLW: 600 pCi/g (total uranium) using RESRAD and industrial scenario; critical population member is a range worker.
- DCGLEMC: 44,000 cpm (gross counts) for the outdoor excavation action level using FIDLER survey instrument."
"GROUP 4: UNRESTRICTED RELEASE WITH SITE-SPECIFIC DOSE ANALYSIS AND NO GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION; DECOMMISSIONING PLAN REQUIRED
Group 4 facilities have residual radiological contamination present in building surfaces and soils, but the licensee cannot meet, or chooses not to use, screening criteria, and the ground water is not contaminated. The licensees are able to demonstrate that residual radioactive material may remain at their site but within the levels specified in NRC criteria for unrestricted use (10 CFR 20.1402, "Radiological Criteria for Unrestricted Use") by applying site-specific criteria in a comprehensive dose analysis.
A site DP is required and must characterize the location and extent of radiological contamination. The DP must also identify the land use, exposure pathways, and critical group for the dose analysis." (NUREG-1757 V1, p. 7-4)
(299k PDF)
: download chapter 6 (41k PDF)
"[...] Physical access to the Isotope Burial Area, Test Area C-64 and Test Area C-74L is restricted by locked gates, fences and security personnel. Because people are not exposed to contaminants at these sites, the areas pose no past, present or future public health hazard."
The public comment period ended February 19, 2003.
ATSDR release Jan. 23, 2003
> View Public Health Assessment, April 11, 2003
Eglin Air Force Base documents at ATSDR
)
NRC issues Finding of no Significant Impact on Decommissioning Plan for depleted uranium at Robins Air Force Base:
The NRC performed an environmental assessment (EA) of the proposed decommissioning activity. Based on the results of the EA that follows, the NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the licensing action and is issuing a finding of no significant impact (FONSI).
> Federal Register Volume 82, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 19, 2017) p. 43794-43797 (download full text )
), March 16, 2017 (PDF)
On Nov. 9, 2017, NRC's Petition Review Board (PRB) accepted several of the petitioner's concerns for evaluation: Inappropriate number of sediment samples, Inappropriate frequency of sediment sampling, Inappropriate and poorly described analytical techniques (sample analysis methods), Inappropriate geological sampling procedures for sediment collection, and Inappropriate data evaluation methods (leading to dilution of samples) to determine the presence of depleted uranium outside the ranges associated with the Pohakuloa Training Area.
> Federal Register Volume 82, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 29, 2017) p. 56627 (download full text )
However, on Feb. 21, 2018, NRC notified the petitioner of its intention to deny the petition. The director's decision was issued on May 15, 2018.
> Federal Register Volume 83, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 22, 2018) p. 23742-23748 (download full text )
> Access Docket ID NRC-2018-0084
Range fire at Pohakuloa Training Area two miles from DU area:
As a 200-acre brush fire continues to burn here, concern is rising over whether depleted uranium from spotting rounds used as part of the Davy Crockett program in the 1960s is being released into the atmosphere.
The fire, located within the Army's Pohakuloa Training Area about 10 miles in on the Mauna Loa side of Daniel K. Inouye Highway, has been burning since 11:30 a.m. March 24, said PTA Fire Chief Eric Moller. It started during live-fire training within the an impact area, but a distance from areas where the Army in 2006 confirmed depleted uranium (DU) remains from spotting rounds used as part of the Davy Crockett program in the 1960s.
"This fire is well over two miles from where that weapons arc is," Moller said, indicating the area on a map before pointing from Range 3 in a northerly direction, adding that the arc, for the most part, is within a lava flow with little to no vegetation.
(West Hawaii Today Apr. 6, 2016)
On Oct. 24, 2013, NRC issued a possession license to the U.S. Army for depleted uranium at its Hawaiian bases. The license allows the Army to possess up to 275 pounds of DU at Schofield Barracks on Oahu and the Pohakuloa Training Area on the island of Hawaii. The license does not authorize the Army to use the DU or decommission the sites without additional review and approval by the NRC.
> Download NRC release Oct. 24, 2013 (PDF)
> Federal Register Volume 78, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2013) p. 70077-70078 (download full text )
> Access Docket ID NRC-2009-0352
On Sep. 10, 2012, the Army Installation Command submitted to NRC its comments on the draft licence, requesting exemptions from all regulatory burden:
On June 28, 2012, NRC issued a draft licence to the U.S. Army Installation Command for the possession of up to 8000 kg of depleted uranium at Schofield Barracks and Pohakuloa Training Area. "Authorized Use: Activities necessary for the possession and management of depleted uranium spotting rounds and fragments as a result of previous use of depleted uranium at US Army installations."
> Download Draft Licence
On Nov. 9, 2011, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the final environmental radiation monitoring plan for the depleted uranium radiation control areas at Pohakuloa Training Area.
> Download Environmental Radiation Monitoring Plan for Pohakuloa Training Area
Hawaii , 9 Nov. 2011 (1.6MB PDF)
On Aug. 31, 2010, the U.S. Army Garrison - Hawaii announced that the results of the Army's recent depleted uranium (DU) Basic Human Health Risk Assessment (BHHRA) for the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) impact area indicate no likely adverse impacts to current and potential future persons working on or living near PTA due to DU present at PTA.
> Download Basic Human Health Risk Assessment
By letters dated November 6, 2008, and July 8, 2009, the U.S. Army
Installation Command submitted a Source Material License application to
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), for the Schofield Barracks and
Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) sites in Oahu and the Island of Hawaii,
Hawaii. This license application is for possession of depleted uranium
(DU) due to the potential for residual DU to be at various Army
Installations where testing of the M101 Spotting Round has occurred.
A request for a hearing must be filed by October 13, 2009.
Federal Register: August 13, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 155) p. 40855-40857 (download full text )
> View NRC news release Aug. 17, 2009
Army: Depleted Uranium Not a Public Risk: The military says a preliminary study has concluded the public isn't at risk from depleted uranium at the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island. The Army conducted the study as part of its licensing application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a site-specific environmental radiation monitoring plan. According to the report, only three pieces of the radioactive material have been found at Pohakuloa and it is thought the remainder, if any, likely fell into the cracks in the lava. The presence of depleted uranium at the training area was confirmed by the Army in 2007. After years of denials of using the material in the islands, the Army also said soldiers training in Hawaii fired 714 spotting rounds containing depleted uranium in the 1960s. (KGMB9 News, July 29, 2009)
> Download: IMCOM Memo to NRC with Enclosures, Site Specific Security and Environmental Radiation Monitoring Plans, July 8, 2009 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML091950280 ), Enclosure 4:
U.S. Army Installation Management Command: Environmental Radiation Monitoring Plan For Depleted Uranium From the M101 Spotting Round For Pohakuloa Training Area, July 2009 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML091950297 )
Measurements will be taken at Pohakuloa Training Area: Airborne uranium levels will be measured by an Army contractor at three monitoring stations at Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island over the next 12 months, Col. Howard Killian told the Public Works Committee of the Hawaii County Council on Feb. 3, 2009. (StarBulletin Feb. 4, 2009)
Waiki'i Ranch dust samples show no depleted uranium:
Twenty years of accumulated airborne dust was tested for depleted uranium (DU) using a laboratory in England. The NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory is one of the few labs worldwide that is capable of the extremely sensitive testing that can detect small quantities of DU.
The amount of DU found in the sample from Waiki'i Ranch was found to be statistically insignificant, and was less than 1/100 the amount of naturally occurring uranium in the sample.
Waiki'i Ranch is 8-10 miles directly downwind from the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA), where spent DU munitions have been found. Because of the close proximity, the residents of Waiki'i Ranch decided to have tests done to determine if they had been, or are being exposed to airborne DU particles.
(Reader Submitted, The Honolulu Advertiser, July 14, 2008)
A military contractor confirmed the presence of depleted uranium at the U.S. Army's Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island, the Army said. The Army has said it did not use depleted uranium at the training range. Earlier state tests found radiation levels in the air near the Pohakuloa training range to be "normal." (The International Herald Tribune Aug. 21, 2007)
(PDF))
On Sep. 10, 2012, the Army Installation Command submitted to NRC its comments on the draft licence, requesting exemptions from all regulatory burden: view here
On June 28, 2012, NRC issued a draft licence to the U.S. Army Installation Command for the possession of up to 8000 kg of depleted uranium at Schofield Barracks and Pohakuloa Training Area: view here
On Feb. 3, 2012, the Army issued a revised Environmental Radiation Monitoring Plan for Schofield Barracks.
> Download Environmental Radiation Monitoring Plan for Schofield Barracks, Wahiawa, Hawaii, Final, Revision I, Feb. 3, 2012 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML12053A391)
NRC requests predecisional enforcement conference with Army on unauthorized depleted uranium weapons at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii:
"It appears to the NRC that the Army possesses depleted uranium (DU) at multiple Army installations without an NRC license to do so and performed decommissioning at the Army's Schofield Barracks, Hawaii installation without authorization from NRC."
> Download Apparent Violation of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulations and Request for Predecisional Enforcement Conference, EA-10-129 , Apr. 5, 2011 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML110660245)
By letters dated November 6, 2008, and July 8, 2009, the U.S. Army
Installation Command submitted a Source Material License application to
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), for the Schofield Barracks and
Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) sites in Oahu and the Island of Hawaii,
Hawaii. This license application is for possession of depleted uranium
(DU) due to the potential for residual DU to be at various Army
Installations where testing of the M101 Spotting Round has occurred.
A request for a hearing must be filed by October 13, 2009.
Federal Register: August 13, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 155) p. 40855-40857 (download full text )
> View NRC news release Aug. 17, 2009
> Download: IMCOM Memo to NRC with Enclosures, Site Specific Security and Environmental Radiation Monitoring Plans, July 8, 2009 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML091950280 ), Enclosure 3:
U.S. Army Installation Management Command: Environmental Radiation Monitoring Plan For Depleted Uranium From the M101 Spotting Round For Schofield Barracks, July 2009 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML091950292 )
The U.S. Army said on Apr. 22, 2008, it found no significant public health threat from depleted uranium used decades ago at firing ranges on Schofield Barracks.
The Army used weapons containing depleted uranium in Hawaii in the 1960s. Last fall, the Army took more than 1,400 soil, water and air samples at Schofield.
The level for acceptable risk set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is 1 in 10,000. The maximum found at Schofield was 3 in 100,000, Army officials said.
"It's well below the EPA and NRC levels. So, we are saying that it is safe," said Howard Takata of the state Department of Health.
The panel of experts that weighed in on the independent study concurred. The small amount of DU was found in large fragments, which made it unlikely that the contaminant could be airborne in dust, according to panel members.
The Army said records show some 714 rounds containing the radioactive waste were sent to Hawaii. Only about 30 were found at Schofield Barracks firing range.
(KITV Apr. 22, 2008)
> Download Final Schofield Barracks Impact Range Baseline Human Health Risk Assessment for Residual Depleted Uranium , April 2008 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML090900383)
By letter dated February 26, 2007, the Army informed the NRC on the discovery of depleted uranium contamination at the Schofield Barracks Firing Range, Wahiawa, Hawaii.
), Jan. 2019 (14.2MB PDF)
> Federal Register Volume 84, Number 124 (Thursday, June 27, 2019) p. 30780-30782 (download full text )
> Download: Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Amendment of Source Material License SUB–1435 Jefferson Proving Ground, Southeastern Indiana (Jefferson, Ripley, and Jennings Counties) , June 2019 (13.8MB PDF)
On Sep. 26, 2019, NRC issued the requested license amendment.
> Download: NRC Cover letter , Sep. 26, 2019 (PDF)
> Download: Amendment No. 20, License Number SUB-1435 , Sep. 26, 2019 (PDF)
> Download: Safety Evaluation Report , Sep. 2019 (12.4MB PDF)
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(Courier Journal Dec. 12, 2014)
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> Download: Scoping Summary Report, July 2015 (1.8MB PDF)
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, November 2012 (42.6MB PDF)
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Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Memorandum (Bringing Matter of Concern to Commission's Attention), LBP-08-08, June 2, 2008 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML081540188 )
"Based on the data presented in Section 3, consumption of deer tissue does not appear to be a potentially significant exposure pathway for DU at JPG. Of the 132 samples analyzed, DU was not detected in any tissue samples. Based on qualitative observation of the data, deer collected within the DU Impact Area did not have total uranium levels or uranium isotopic ratios that differed from either the NHZ [Nearby Hunting Zones] or BHZ [Background Hunting Zones]. If DU uptake were occurring in deer, higher total uranium levels and isotopic ratios greater than 2 would be expected in the deer from the DU Impact Area, where the greatest potential for exposures occur, but the total uranium levels were not elevated and all ratios were lower than 2."Deer Tissue Sampling Results, Depleted Uranium Impact Area Site Characterization, Jefferson Proving Ground, Madison, Indiana, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, August 2006, 152 p. (ADAMS Accession No. ML062210019
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Federal Register: June 12, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 112) p. 33776 (download full text )
> Download Final Report, Environmental Radiation Monitoring Report for License SUB-1435, Jefferson Proving Ground, Summary of Results for October 17-20, 2005 Sampling Event, May 2006, 214 p. (14MB PDF, ADAMS ML061430302)
"The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has performed an environmental review of the Department of Army's ("Army's" or "licensee's") request for an alternate decommissioning schedule for its Jefferson Proving Ground (JPG) facility in Madison, Indiana. The U.S. Army, Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island, Illinois has oversight of JPG. Army was authorized previously by NRC to use depleted uranium (DU) munitions for military testing. Army has ceased operations at JPG and currently has a possession-only license. Army is requesting a 5-year period to characterize the site and produce and submit a decommissioning plan (DP).> Download Environmental Assessment Related to Issuance of a License Amendment to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Materials License No. SUB-1435 Department of Army, March 6, 2006
NRC staff has evaluated Army's request and has developed an environmental assessment (EA) to support the review of Army's proposed alternate decommissioning schedule, in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 51. Based on the staff evaluation, the conclusion of the EA is a Finding of No Significant Impact on human health and the environment for the proposed licensing action."
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Notice of Consideration of Amendment Request for an Alternate
Decommissioning Schedule for the Department of the Army, U.S. Army
Garrison, Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island, IL, and Opportunity To
Request a Hearing
A request for a hearing must be filed by August 26, 2005.
Federal Register: June 27, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 122) p. 36964-36966
(download full text )
to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it could go in for limited gathering of data. It won't be the first time the area has been entered. The Save the Valley environmental organization pointed out in November 2003 that Army documents made several references to the Army going into the DU area for various purposes.
(Madison Courier Feb. 16, 2005)
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A request for a hearing had to be filed within thirty (30) days of October 28, 2003.
On Nov. 26, 2003, a hearing request was filed by Save The Valley. (Madison Courier, Nov. 29, 2003)
"Amending the existing license for JPG to continue as a possession-only license and delaying further development of the decommissioning plan until validated models can be established appears to be the most prudent course of action. The staff has concluded that under the unique circumstances of this case, where the collection of data to complete the decommissioning plan in itself could create personnel safety hazards, and the licensee -- a federal agency -- is a stable and durable entity that can provide access controls and monitoring in accordance with the Commission's requirements, extending the requirement to submit a decommissioning plan until the necessary data can be safely collected and models validated could be approved under 10 CFR 40.42(g)(2) as it presents no undue risk from radiation to the public health and safety and is otherwise in the public interest. Given the 5-year renewal period, the staff will be in a position to periodically revisit the need to continue the delay in completing the decommissioning plan."
(SECY-03-0031, March 3, 2003: JEFFERSON PROVING GROUND DECOMMISSIONING STATUS)
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"The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of a license amendment to Material License No. SUB-1435 issued to the U.S. Army (the licensee), to authorize decommissioning of its Jefferson Proving Ground (JPG) facility in Madison, Indiana."
Comments with respect to this action should be provided in writing within 30 days of November 14, 2002.
A request for a hearing must be filed within 30 days of November 14, 2002.
· Part 2 (10.4MB PDF)
Environmental Report, Jefferson Proving Ground, Madison, Indiana, U.S. Department of the Army, June 2002
> Download Environmental Report (10.5MB PDF)
"The restricted use scenario was chosen as the most viable alternative primarily for personnel safety concerns due to the presence of UXO [unexploded ordnance] and associated costs for remediation. Further, the cost benefit for dose averted exceeded the cost for DU remediation."> Download License Termination Standard Review Plan
Submission of the supporting Environmental Report was anticipated by the end of October 2001.
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"The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of a license amendment to Materials License No. SUB-1435 issued to the U.S. Army (licensee), to authorize decommissioning of its Jefferson Proving Ground (JPG) site in Madison, Indiana.
From 1941 to 1994, the licensee conducted ordnance testing on the JPG site, and fired more than 24 million rounds of conventional explosive. From 1984 to 1994, the licensee conducted accuracy testing of depleted uranium (DU) tank penetrator rounds at the site. An NRC license was issued to authorize the U.S. Army to use, store, and perform testing of DU munitions at JPG. The DU penetrator rounds vary in size but can be generally described as rods comprised of a DU titanium alloy with a diameter of approximately 2.5 centimeters (cm) (1 inch) and a length as much as 61 cm (2 feet). The DU munitions testing contaminated approximately 5.1 x 106 square meters (m2) (1260 acres) of the site with an estimated 7 x 104 kilograms (1.5 x 105 pounds) of DU. In accordance with the Defense Authorization Amendments and Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-526), the licensee was required to close the JPG base on September 30, 1995. Currently, the licensed material is kept onsite in the restricted area known as the ``Depleted Uranium Impact Area.'' This area under Materials License No. SUB-1435 is located north of the firing line, and consists of approximately 12 x 106 m2 (3,000 acres)."
Federal Register: January 13, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 8) p. 1710-1712 (download full text )
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Federal Register: August 19, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 159) p. 41944-41946 (download full text )
Federal Register: April 9, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 69) p. 19263-19265 (download full text )
See also: Federal Register: December 14, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 239) p. 74036
(download full text )
For depleted uranium with 0.2 weight-percent U-235, 230 pCi/g total DU corresponds to 580 mg/kg, and 105 pCi/g to 265 mg/kg.
"... the licensee is authorized to proceed with the decontamination and decommissioning of the ARL Transonic Range Facility and to utilize the Derived Concentration Guideline Limit for soil of 230 picocuries per gram total uranium as proposed in the report 'Derived Uranium Guidelines for the Depleted Uranium Study Area of the Transonic Range Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland' dated April 1999 and supplemented by the Conceptual Site Exposure Model submitted with letter dated February 1, 2001." (emphasis added)For DU (0.2 wt_% U-235), 230 pCi/g (= 8.51 Bq/g) total U corresponds to 580 mg/kg - approx. 200 times typical natural total U background.
"The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering issuance of an amendment to Source Material License No. SMB-141 (SMB-141), issued to the Department of the Army, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground (the licensee), to authorize decommissioning of the Depleted Uranium Study Area (DUSA) of the Transonic Range at their facility in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.On May 1, 2000, the Aberdeen Proving Ground Superfund Citizens Coalition has filed a request for hearing. On June 20, 2000, Administrative Judge Ivan W. Smith granted an extension of time of thirty days to the Coalition to file an amended request for hearing (ASLBP No. 00-776-04-MLA, available through ADAMS
On December 15, 1999, the licensee submitted a Decommissioning Plan for the DUSA that summarized the decommissioning activities that will be undertaken to remediate the structures and areas of the surrounding soil at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Some remaining structures and some areas of soil are contaminated with depleted uranium (DU) resulting from licensed operations conducted during the period 1973 to 1979.
The NRC will require the licensee to remediate the DUSA to meet NRC's decommissioning criteria, and during the decommissioning activities, to maintain effluents and doses within NRC requirements and as low as reasonably achievable."
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, the radiological environmental restoration firm in charge of cleanup. A painstaking cleanup plan was proposed that would include packaging and shipping the stabilized, lead-contaminated sand off site.
The public may view the document titled Area 10 Sand Piles Removal Action Explanation of Significant Differences at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, Building 6, or at the Mid-Continent Public Library (North Independence Branch). Deadline to make a comment about the proposed cleanup changes is Feb. 15, 2008.
Comments should be submitted no later than March 1, 2006.
Federal Register: January 24, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 15) p. 3825-3826 (download full text )
dated 23 June 2004, the Department of the Air Force details plans to bury four US Army tanks (M-47) that were contaminated with DU from A-10 aircraft target practice. The tanks were stored in the "Library" area in Range 63, Target Area 10. Each tank contains "less than 40 GAU-8 30mm Depleted Uranium (DU) rounds".
The tanks are to be buried, since "the cost for disposal by burial was determined to be less than attempting to decontaminate them" (!).
Notice of availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact:
Federal Register: October 25, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 205) p. 61649-61651
(download full text )
Also on October 25, 2005, NRC issued a license amendment approving the disposal of the four tanks.
Federal Register: March 8, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 45) p. 10682 (download full text )
A Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) was published in June 1997.
On April 5, 2002, The Air Force announced to resume using depleted uranium rounds in testing and training at a Nevada base. The Air Force had stopped all testing and training with the tank-killing bullets in 1993 because of health and environmental concerns. The Air Force said that several studies showed the rounds are not a health or environmental threat. It said it had completed an environmental study of using the rounds and agreed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that testing and training with the ammunition could resume. (AP Apr. 6, 2002)
> View Air Force Release, April 5, 2002
> For details and an online version of the Draft EA, see RAMA's Depleted Uranium page .
The Army holds a license to possess 11,000 kgs of depleted uranium.
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Federal Register: February 29, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 41) p. 11157-11158
(download full text )
Federal Register: October 10, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 195), p. 57602-57604
(download full text )
The license (last amended Oct. 21, 2002) contains the following decommissioning standards:
Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of
No Significant Impact for License Amendment to Source Materials License
No. Sub-348, for Unrestricted Release of the Department of the Army,
U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Armament
Research, Development and Engineering Center, Building 611b Facility in
Picatinny, NJ
Federal Register: December 4, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 232) p. 68203-68205 (download full text )
"Several explosive testing areas within the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory have used uranium and depleted uranium for several years (personal communication R. W. Drake to G. L. Voelz, 1971). It was estimated that 75000- to 100000-kg uranium were used for tests made during 1949-1970. About 35000- to 45000-kg natural uranium were used during 1949-1954, and 40000- to 55000-kg DU were used during 1955-1970. LASL offers several areas for unique studies that have direct applications to long-term considerations of DU in natural environmental situations. [...]"
from: Ecological Considerations of Depleted Uranium Munitions, by Wayne C. Hanson, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, LA-5559, 1974
, ATSDR, March 19, 2013
ATSDR report dismisses cancer-Navy link on Vieques:
A U.S. agency on Thursday (Dec. 8, 2011) accepted local claims that there is a higher incidence of cancer and other health ills on Vieques island compared with neighboring Puerto Rico, but said there is no proof the problem is linked to U.S. military activity.
The long-awaited preliminary report was widely criticized by Puerto Rican officials and Vieques residents long resentful of health problems that they blame on the Navy, which used the tiny island as a bombing range for six decades.
The 361-page report by the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry nearly concludes a federal investigation into health problems on Vieques, but critics said they would continue to fight for those who are ill.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry is seeking public comment through March before issuing a final report that would include recommendations for unidentified future work to be done in Vieques.
(Guardian Dec. 8, 2011)
The public comment period will end on March 8, 2012.
> View ATSDR release Dec. 8, 2011
> Download ATSDR 2011 Vieques Report: An Evaluation of Environmental, Biological, and Health Data from the Isla of Vieques, Puerto Rico - December 2011
> Access Docket ID CDC-2011-0014
ATSDR is no longer convinced that no health hazards exist from inadvertent DU ammunition use in Vieques:
On Nov. 13, 2009, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) signaled its intent to modify some of its earlier conclusions about health risks to residents of the Island of Vieques. "Much has been learned since we first went to Vieques a decade ago, and we have identified gaps in environmental data that could be important in determining health effects" said Dr. Howard Frumkin, agency director. "The gaps we found indicate that we cannot state unequivocally that no health hazards exist in Vieques. We have found reason to pose further questions," Frumkin said.
> View ATSDR release Nov. 13, 2009
> View ATSDR Vieques progress report
On Feb. 7, 2005, the U.S. EPA placed the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Area on Vieques on the Superfund National Priorities List.
> View EPA release Feb. 7, 2005
> View Site Narrative
> View Federal Register: August 13, 2004 (Vol. 69, No. 156), p.50115 - 50122, Proposed Rule
> View Federal Register: February 11, 2005 (Vol. 70, No. 28) p. 7182-7189, Final Rule
> Download Support Document for the Revised National Priorities List, Final Rule - February 2005 (132k PDF)
> View EPA Region 2 Vieques pages
On Sep. 15, 2003, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released its Final Health Assessment on Air Pathway for the Isla de Vieques Bombing Range Site, Vieques, Puerto Rico, finding No Apparent Public Health Hazard:
"Residents of Vieques are not exposed to levels of environmental contamination that could present a public health hazard, whether chemical or radiological, as a result of the Navy's limited past use of depleted uranium penetrators during military training exercises."> View ATSDR release Sep. 15, 2003
NRC Weekly Information Report For the Week Ending October 6, 2000:
"On September 28, Region II issued a report of the results of environmental surveys for Vieques Island. The surveys were conducted to determine the amount of depleted uranium contained in the sample areas. The report indicated No levels of depleted uranium detected in areas outside the Naval firing range on the Island."
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission held a news conference in San Juan on October 4, 2000, to discuss the final results of an environmental sampling program aimed at detection of radioactive material at Vieques Island's military areas and the communities of Isabel Segunda and Esperanza.
(NRC Press Release, October 2, 2000 )
NRC Weekly Information Report For the Week Ending June 16, 2000:
"U. S. Navy - Vieques Island ActivitiesThe U.S. Navy completed three weeks of activities to recover depleted uranium penetrators on the Vieques, Puerto Rico, naval firing range. Approximately 37 penetrators were recovered during this phase. NRC inspectors observed the Navy's recovery activities. The Navy is reviewing these results to determine future options for additional penetrators that may remain in or near the firing range. NRC staff, supported by personnel from the Puerto Rico Department of Health, also obtained environmental samples from locations on the island. The samples are being analyzed for depleted uranium by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE)." (emphasis added)
NRC Weekly Information Report For the Week Ending March 31, 2000:
"U.S. Navy Master Material License, Vieques, Puerto Rico Navy Firing RangeThe Division of Waste Management, NMSS assisted Region II in reviewing the Navy's plan to recover depleted uranium (DU) penetrators on the Vieques, Puerto Rico firing range. The Navy's survey work plan is sufficient to locate and retrieve the penetrators; however is not considered to be a complete decommissioning plan, which would be required for unrestricted release. The NRC's review was provided to the Navy on March 21, 2000. Region II provided a copy of the plan and the NRC's review to the Secretary of Health in Puerto Rico on March 23, 2000."
NRC review of the Navy's "Survey Work Plan for Depleted Uranium (DU) Penetrators, Vieques Naval Target Range, Live Impact Area, Vieques, Puerto Rico" dated March 21, 2000 (available through ADAMS , Docket No. ):
"INTRODUCTIONThe U.S. Navy notified the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on March 5, 1999, of an event involving depleted uranium (DU) ammunition. The survey work plan indicates that during a training exercise on February 19, 1999, two U.S. Marine Corps aircraft expended 263 DU rounds at the Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, North Convoy Site. The Navy indicated that a team of Navy health physicists was deployed between March 10 and 19, 1999, and recovered 57 DU rounds. Only a portion of the site was investigated at that time because of unexploded conventional ordinance and dense vegetation. The Navy plans to recover all detectable DU penetrators and conduct a final status survey.
The Navy submitted a Survey Work Plan in December of 1999. The purpose of the plan is to conduct a 100 percent survey of the area and remove all detectable DU rounds. This plan provides the following: (1) a history of the event, (2) a site description, (3) a summary of previous radiological investigations, (4) a summary of health effects associated with DU, and (5) a description of the planned survey methods." (emphasis added)
U.S. NRC Preliminary Notification (PNO-II-00-001, Jan. 14, 2000 ):
"Subject: Recent Media Reports About Event Involving Depleted Uranium AmmunitionOn January 13, 2000, Region II received information from the Radiological Health Division, Puerto Rico Department of Health, on recent media reports regarding depleted uranium (DU) on Vieques Island in Puerto Rico. The articles referred to a February 19, 1999, event in which DU ammunition was inadvertently expended on the Live Impact Area of the Vieques Naval Range. The range is a naval weapons firing range. The NRC was initially informed of the event on March 5, 1999.
The newspaper articles reported that a nuclear engineer had conducted surveys for radiation on the island in the Live Impact Area and identified survey measurements up to 37 milliroentgens in areas where unauthorized individuals are located. The articles also reported this engineer had found radioactive contamination from the DU." [...]
> See also documents released by the Navy
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Nuclear Regulatory Commission issues Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of no Significant Impact for License Amendment to Materials License No. 45-23645-01na, to Incorporate the Decommissioning Plan for the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Dahlgren, Virginia.
Federal Register: December 18, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 244) p. 77078-77080 (download full text )
> Download Decommissioning Assessment for Building 200, Bay 4, DU Indoor Test Range, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren Virginia, Nov. 15, 2006 (ADAMS Acc. No. ML063340558)
Assessing depleted uranium (DU) contamination of soil, plants and earthworms at UK weapons testing sites, by Ian W. Oliver, Margaret C. Graham, Angus B. MacKenzie, Robert M. Ellam and John G. Farmer; in: Journal of Environmental Monitoring, Vol. 9 (2007), No. 7, p. 740–748
Assessing depleted uranium (DU) contamination of soil, plants and earthworms at UK weapons testing sites, by Ian W. Oliver, Margaret C. Graham, Angus B. MacKenzie, Robert M. Ellam and John G. Farmer; in: Journal of Environmental Monitoring, Vol. 9 (2007), No. 7, p. 740–748
> View press release of the City of Remscheid (April 10, 2002 - in German)
> View NRW State Ministry of Environment press release (April 10, 2002 - in German)
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