[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 26, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63077-63078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-30996]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Revision of the Department of Defense 6055.9--Standard, 
Department of Defense Ammunition and Explosives Safety Standards

AGENCY: Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of change.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) is 
today announcing several changes to Department of Defense 6055.9--
Standard, dated October 1992. Because of the length of time since the 
Standard was last published in full, the DDESB is republishing the 
Standard with all changes adopted by the Board since 1992 incorporated 
therein.
    The DDESB is taking this action pursuant to its statutory authority 
as set forth in Title 10, United States Code, Section 172 (10 U.S.C. 
172) and DoD Directive 6055.9, ``Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) and 
DoD Component Explosives Safety Responsibilities,'' July 29, 1996. The 
Standard is applicable to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the 
Military Departments (including the Army and Air Force National 
Guards), the Defense Nuclear Agency, the Defense Logistics Agency, the 
Coast Guard (when under DoD control), and other parties who produce or 
manage ammunition or explosives under contract to the DoD. Through DoD 
6055.9-STD, the DDESB establishes minimum explosives safety 
requirements for storing and handling ammunition and explosives. Copies 
of this Standard may be obtained from the U.S. Department of Commerce, 
National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, 
Springfield, VA 27161.

[[Page 63078]]

For more detailed information on specific aspects of this Standard, 
contact Ray Sawyer by calling (703) 325-8625 or by writing to 
Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board, 2461 Eisenhower Avenue, 
Room 856-C, Alexandria, VA 22331-0600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Dating back to 1928 when Congress directed 
the Secretaries of the military departments to establish a joint board 
of officers to ``keep informed on stored supplies of ammunition and 
components thereof * * *, with particular regard to keeping those 
supplies properly dispersed and stored and to preventing hazardous 
conditions from arising to endanger life and property inside or outside 
of storage reservations,'' the DDESB (formerly known as the Ammunition 
Safety Board) has periodically revised or updated the Standard based on 
new scientific or technical information and explosives safety 
experience. The implementation of a change to DoD 6055.9-STD does not 
depend on formal publication of a change to DoD 6055.9-STD. Changes to 
the Standard are effective when adopted by the Board, or as the Board 
may otherwise direct. In order to ensure compliance, the Services and 
Defense Agencies modify their Service or Agency implementing procedures 
and standards accordingly.
    This revision to the October 1992 version of DoD 6055.9-STD 
incorporates decisions of the DDESB made at its 307th through 314th 
meetings held from July 1992 through February 1997. Although the 
decisions adopted at the 307th meeting of the Board in July 1992 pre-
date the October 1992 publication, the Standard was already at the 
printer and those changes could not be included. This revision also 
reflects the recent assignment of the DDESB to the Office of the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology.
    The changes included herein address the following:
    <bullet> Expands the Scope of the Standard to include application 
to any energetic material (U.S. titled or otherwise) on DoD owned or 
leased facilities.
    <bullet> Eliminates high explosives limits for training military 
working dogs for explosives detection and maintains evacuation 
distances applicable to personnel who are not involved in the training 
activity.
    <bullet> Establishes quantity-distance criteria for non-essential 
personnel and establishes protection level criteria for essential 
personnel for use at ammunition and explosives burning sites.
    <bullet> Expands and clarifies quantity-distance criteria for the 
location of steel tanks used to store hazardous materials or water with 
respect to ammunition and explosives locations.
    <bullet> Establishes criteria for sites where explosives loaded 
containers may be moved from a rail to a road transport mode, and vice 
versa.
    <bullet> Modifies lightning protection criteria into performance 
oriented criteria that are consistent with current National Fire 
Protection Association (NFPA) standards.
    <bullet> Establishes criteria that apply to locations where 
inhabited building quantity-distance arcs are allowed to extend beyond 
DoD boundary lines.
    <bullet> Clarifies the application of explosion propagation 
prevention measures when storing Storage Compatibility Groups B and F 
ammunition with other compatibility groups ammunition.
    <bullet> Expands the exemption from quantity-distance requirements 
for specific combat aircraft weapons loads.
    <bullet> Establishes quantity-distance criteria for Navy Maritime 
Pre-positioning Ships based on test results for specific ship 
explosives load configurations.
    <bullet> Expands and clarifies the standards applicable to real 
property containing ammunition, explosives, or chemical agents, 
including providing for specified depth criteria in the absence of a 
site-specific assessment.
    <bullet> Specifies the conditions that would allow limited opening 
of boxes loaded with ammunition while inside storage facilities.
    <bullet> Clarifies the quantity-distance criteria applicable to 
training facilities occupied by military personnel.
    <bullet> Clarifies the criteria for types of ammunition and inert 
materials that may be stored in modular storage units and sets 
explosives limits for modular storage cells.
    <bullet> Based upon tests results and analysis, reduces the 
quantity-distance criteria for U.S. 3rd generation harden aircraft 
shelters.
    <bullet> Allows commanders to determine the appropriate separation 
distances between aircraft parking areas, combat aircraft parking 
areas, the associated ready ammunition storage facilities, and 
ammunition cargo areas.
    <bullet> Based upon test results, clarifies the criteria used to 
satisfy the quantity-distance requirements for underground ammunition 
and explosives storage facilities.
    <bullet> Establishes requirement to retain the explosives facility 
site plan package at the installation.
    <bullet> Establishes quantity-distance criteria for siting range 
control points with respect to other potential explosion sites.
    <bullet> Expands and clarifies quantity-distance criteria to 
include separation of combat- and explosives-loaded aircraft from 
taxiways and runways.
    <bullet> Revises the definitions and quantity-distance 
requirements, particularly inter-magazine separation requirements, for 
earth covered magazines.
    <bullet> Clarifies the requirements for location of overhead 
electric services lines with respect to ammunition and explosives 
facilities.
    <bullet> Expands and clarifies the requirements for transporting 
materials contaminated with chemical agents.
    <bullet> Clarifies the criteria for containers that may be used to 
monitor protective clothing that may be used in chemical agent areas.
    <bullet> Modifies public traffic route distance criteria by 
expanding traffic density evaluations to include rail and ship traffic, 
basing density on passengers per day, and providing guidance for 
evaluating traffic density to clarify the use of minimum fragment 
distances.
    <bullet> Corrects inconsistencies with current Hazard Division 1.6 
ammunition criteria, and harmonizes U.S. criteria with NATO criteria.
    <bullet> Establishes criteria applicable to the use of revetments 
to separate ammunition stored on pads or hung on aircraft.
    In adopting these changes, the DDESB has determined that the 
Standards, as changed, are at least as protective as the previous 
Standards.

    Dated: November 20, 1997.
L.M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 97-30996 Filed 11-25-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-M