# Presentation: 469562

## STOCKPILE COMPONENTSAND THREAT

**STOCKPILE COMPONENTS****AND THREAT**

## OBJECTIVE

- CA32

- Describe the types of munitions stored in your vicinity and the potential for an off-site release

## STOCKPILE COMPONENTS

- Characterized by
- form of munitions
- type of agent
- packaging and storage requirements
- maintenance requirements
- potential threat of accidental release

- CA33

## TYPES OF MUNITIONS

- CA34

- Rockets  Cartridges Projectiles

- Bombs

- Land
- mines

- One-ton
- Containers

- (Spray Tanks not shown; not to scale)

## ROCKETS

- CA35

- All obsolete and declared hazardous waste
- Contain approximately 10 lbs of GB or VX in extruded aluminum warheads
- Warhead includes explosive charge (burster) and fuse to initiate charge
- Solid propellant contained in a steel motor that is threaded onto warhead

- M55 rocket

## ROCKETS

- CA36

**ROCKETS**

- Stored in fiberglass shipping and firing containers with aluminum ends
- 15 shipping/firing containers per 1 pallet
- Always stored in igloos pointing toward earth-covered concrete wall
- In unlikely event of accidental ignition,rocket should not escape the igloo

- Rocket pallets inside storage igloo

## ROCKETS

- CA37

**ROCKETS**

- No scheduled handling or maintenance since obsolete
- Checked routinely for leakage
- Checks made of interior of igloo and inside shipping and firing container
- Any leakage discovered is promptly contained using approved overpacks

- M55 rocket

## ROCKETS

- Army tests established that if 2 rockets exploded, 13 other rockets would leak forming an agent puddle
- occurs inside igloo
- no off-post liquid threat
- low concentration of agent vapors likely to pass installation boundaries

- CA38

## CARTRIDGES

- CA39

- 2 types
- 1 fired from howitzer containing approximately 2 – 3 lbs of GB or HD
- 1 fired from mortar containing  approximately 6 lbs of HD or HT
- Rarely, but sometimes, have all elements needed to be fired encased in fiberboard container
- includes propellant, bursting charge, fuze
- 2 fiberboard containers to 1 wooden box
- 12 to 36 wooden boxes per 1 pallet

- GB cartridge

## CARTRIDGES

**CARTRIDGES**

- All cartridges stored in igloos
- Normal maintenance includes rewarehousing, handling and inspecting for defects and leakage
- if leakage detected, probably would be vapor for GB and liquid for HD and HT
- effects would be confined to igloo
- Army has determined if one cartridge explodes no other cartridge in igloo would detonate
- no cartridges can spontaneously explode
- external force such as fire or accident must occur to cause cartridge to explode

## Heavy, thick-walled metal shells of 1- or 2-piece construction
Filled with GB, VX, H, HD, or HT
between 2 and 14 lbs of chemical warfare agent
Most projectiles not fuzed
most projectiles do not have burster explosives loaded into shell
Propellant charge required for firing shipped, stored, and issued separately

- Heavy, thick-walled metal shells of 1- or 2-piece construction
- Filled with GB, VX, H, HD, or HT
- between 2 and 14 lbs of chemical warfare agent
- Most projectiles not fuzed
- most projectiles do not have burster explosives loaded into shell
- Propellant charge required for firing shipped, stored, and issued separately

- CA41

**PROJECTILES**

- GB projectile

## PROJECTILES

**PROJECTILES**

- Packaged 6 or 8 to 1 pallet
- All stored in igloos
- Normal maintenance includes rewarehousing, handling and inspecting for defects and leakage

- Illustration of a projectile pallet

## PROJECTILES

**PROJECTILES**

- If leakage detected, probably would be vapor for GB and liquid for H, HD, HT, or VX
- effects would be confined to igloo
- Army has determined if one projectile explodes no other projectile in pallet or igloo would detonate
- no projectiles can spontaneously explode
- external force such as fire or accident must occur to cause projectile to explode

## MINES

- CA44

**MINES**

- Contains 10.5 lbs of liquid VX
- Contains explosives used to burst mine open and spread its chemical warfare agent payload
- 3 mines per 16-gallon, waterproof, metal drum
- All mines stored in igloos
- Normal maintenance handlingand inspecting for defects and leakage
- leaks would be primarily around base of mine and in side fuze well

- VX land mine

## MINES

**MINES**

- Leakage easily detected because of dissolved portions of packing supports and missing paint on mine body
- Liquid and vapors confined to vapor-proof container
- Army has determined if one mine explodes other mines in drum would detonate
- mines cannot spontaneously explodes
- external force such as fire or accident must occur to cause mine to explode

- Cut away of a land mine

## BOMBS

- CA46

**BOMBS**

- 3 types
- Contain 105 to 350 lbs of GB
- depending on type of bomb
- No bombs stored with explosives
- Bomb bodies are steel or aluminum alloy

- GB 500 lb bomb

## BOMBS

**BOMBS**

- All bombs stored in igloos
- Aluminum bomb packaged individually in vapor-proof container
- Other two older steel body types usually stored 1 or 2 to 1 pallet unit

- GB 500 lb bomb

## BOMBS

**BOMBS**

- Normal maintenance includes rewarehousing, handling and inspecting for defects and leakage
- Leakage would probably be vapor seeping from welds on upper portion of bomb

- GB 500 lb bomb

## BOMBS

**BOMBS**

- Since no explosives involved, worst possible event is a liquid spill of entire contents
- has never happened
- if it did, liquid confined to storage structure
- if weak concentrations of vapors reached off-site, would likely be too weak to pose hazard to civilian population

- GB 500 lb bomb

## ONE-TON CONTAINERS

**ONE-TON CONTAINERS**

- Industrial metal containers manufactured for storage of bulk liquids
- No explosives involved
- Capacity ranges from 1500 to 1800 lbs depending on chemical warfare agent stored

- One ton containers stored at Newport Chemical Depot, Newport, IN

## ONE-TON CONTAINERS

**ONE-TON CONTAINERS**

- 2 valves located on 1 end of container
- 6 plugs
- 3 plugs evenly spaced on bulkhead ends
- Valves and plugs made of brass or steel
- Containers stored in igloos, metal storage buildings, oroutdoor storage yards
- depending on chemical warfare agent and location

- One ton containers stored at Newport Chemical Depot, Newport, IN

## ONE-TON CONTAINERS

**ONE-TON CONTAINERS**

- Normal maintenance includes painting of containers stored outside, replacing all brass valves and plugs with stainless steel ones, and inspecting for defects and leakage
- Leakage would be from the plugs or valves
- any liquid released would be confined in storage area

- Maintenance inspection of valves and plugsat Deseret Chemical Depot, Tooele, UT

## SPRAY TANKS

**SPRAY TANKS**

- Contain 1365 lbs of liquid VX
- Constructed of 1/8-in stainless steel
- 1 tank overpacked to a large metal, vapor-proof, modified jet engine container

- Spray tank in overpack container

## SPRAY TANKS

**SPRAY TANKS**

- Stored in igloos and metal storage buildings
- Normal maintenance includes handling and inspecting for defects and leaks
- Vapor leaks never detected
- No liquid leakage has occurred
- in unlikely event of liquid leaks, liquid would be confined to vapor-proof container

## LEAKING CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENT

- CA55

- Leaking liquid or vapor is controlled and contained until leaking item can be disposed of properly
- leaker is sealed in approved container as soon as possible
- if vapor-proof container leaking due to defective gasket, gasket is replaced
- if gasket cannot be replaced,container is replaced
- if no serviceable containersare available, item is overpackedin larger vapor-proof container or chemical warfare agent contents are transferred to another container

- Packing leaker in vapor-proof container

## LEAKING CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENT

**LEAKING CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENT**

- Contamination promptly neutralized
- Storage structures are sealed and equipped with air filters during leaker containerization operations
- Rockets filled with GB cause greatest concern
- due to design and large numbers
- less than 1/10th of 1% of rockets have developed leaks
- Army has developed 2 specially designed vapor-proof overpacks
- leaking rockets have been stored in these leaker containers (overpacks) and monitored for further leakage with excellent results