Rocky Mountain Arsenal

1
Rocky Mountain Arsenal

• By Chris Ford and James Hughes
• (4078845) (4092011)

2
History

• Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) was established in
  1942, during World War 2.
• The US Army manufactured chemical weapons until
  the 1960s and destroyed weaponry through the
  1980s.
• Post WW2, the areas was leased for use in the
  manufacture of pesticides, insecticides and
  herbicides until 1982.
• Presently the area is of high
• environmental importance and is
• a wildlife refuge.

3
How did the Arsenal become contaminated?

• The manufacturing wastes that were generated from
  the Arsenal, were disposed using practices
  accepted and well known at the time.
• The contamination occurred from two factors
• The disposal of wastes
• Accidental sewage leaks, spills and wind
  dispersion

4
Contaminant details

• The extent of the contamination lies largely in 5
  factions Ground-water, Soil, Lakes,
  Surface-water and Plants.
• Wind dispersion also spread the contaminants over
  a wide area and leaching occurred.
• Contaminants include semi-volatile chemicals,
  heavy metals and volatile organic compounds.
• Levels of contamination were established through
  9700 samples of soils. Another 3900 other samples
  were and are continuing to be taken.

5
The Cleanup

• In 1989, the U.S. Army and Shell Oil Company
  entered into the RMA Federal Facility Agreement
  with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• As part of the FFA, the Army and Shell
  implemented remedial actions with all applicable
  regulations, laws and agreements.
• The total cost for the cleanup program is
  estimated to cost 2.4 billion.

6
Groundwater treatment

• The groundwater treatment consists of 3 systems.
• 5 groundwater pumping stations
• Containment Barrier
• Injection of a Hydrogen Release Compound (HRC)
• 180 million for the baseline groundwater
• treatment
• Contaminants Organic compounds,
• Arsenic etc

7
Soil remediation

• The main remediation method is of contaminated
  soil removal.
• This contaminated material is then transported
  and stored in a Double-Lined Landfill, ensuring
  environmental protection for 1000 years.
• Lesser contaminated materials are instead placed
  into several monitored basins their capping
  layers used to promote runoff.
• 3.8 million cubic metres of soil have been
  removed.

8
(No Transcript)
9
Summary

• RMA will become one of the largest urban national
  wildlife refuges once remediation is complete.
• The RMA has been recognized as being among the
  safest workplaces of its kind with recognition
  from the Occupational Safety and Health
  Administration in April 09.
• The Army and its contractors have excavated more
  than 3.8 million cubic metres of contaminated
  soil.
• In addition, the 5 groundwater pumping stations
  have treated 3.5 million metres cubed of
  contaminated groundwater each year.
• In 2007, the EPA awarded the site with its
  national Land Revitalization Award.

10
Thanks for listening