Page 7 of the PAERAB's Spring 2009 TAPP Contractor Newsletter

Phase I will involve hand removal and destruction of all surface and near surface ICMs. Phase II will involve the cutting of trees and shrubs and the placement of a 4-foot thick cap over the area. Picatinny requested that the area where the ICMs are located be redesignated as a separate Munitions Response Site (MRS). The TCRA is expected to cost $1.7 million. Arcadis projects that the TCRA will be completed by September 2009.

Text Box: ICMs has not been uncovered; Picatinny staff placed an ad in the base newspaper requesting anyone with knowledge of the ICMs to come forward but no one has yet replied. A similar request is posted on the RAB’s website. It is not known whether the ICMs are inert or safe. A demolition shot on some of the items revealed that at least one of the items was live. Due to the extreme safety hazards of dealing with ICMs removal of ICMs must be covered by an ICM Waiver that is

Text Box: A time-critical removal action (TCRA) action memorandum for the Former Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO) Yard was signed by Lieutenant Colonel John P. Stack on May 5, 2009. The memorandum provides a brief synopsis of the plans for removing and capping selected munitions and explosives of concern /improved conventional munitions (MEC / ICM) objects at the site; work plans with details of the proposed action are expected to be forthcoming. The action will focus on the detection and removal or detonation in-place of surface and near-surface MEC. MEC were discovered on three different dates: the first discovery was in 1993 during fence installation, then additional material was found to be protruding from the banks of Green Pond Brook during a site walk , and finally, the remainder was found during pre-construction soil sampling for the remedial action. The MEC is believed to either be debris from the 1926 explosion or it is waste from excavation spoils dumped at the site. The source for the

Text Box: granted by the Department of the Army before any action can take place. The TCRA action memorandum states the following: “Although the DRMO Yard has dual fencing, this fencing is old and in a poor state of repair and could easily be compromised by curious parties potentially exposing personnel to these hazardous items.” Fortunately we are not aware of any injuries due to the presence of the MEC / ICM. The action will be executed in two phases.

A STICKY MATTER IN AREA B

Although the last injection event at Area B occurred in February 2009 it was originally scheduled for March 16, 2009. To permit CNN to film the injection the February date was selected and injection activities were carefully coordinated. CNN is going to use the

footage for a story on green remediation technologies. Arcadis reported that CNN planned to feature the in-situ bioremediation technology that utilizes injection of molasses. The plan for the February 2009 event was to inject 10,000 gallons of molasses solution

into injection Line #1. The decision to inject into Line #1 was based on a review of total organic carbon (TOC). TOC concentrations were reported to be between 12 and 20 percent of the maximum historical TOC concentration.

TOC concentrations in Lines#2 and #3 were reportedly high enough that additional injection was deemed not warranted. The next injection event is scheduled for June 2009; no details on that event have as of yet been made available to the RAB.

Photo of Improved Conventional Munitions discovered at DRMO Yard

Improved conventional munitions (ICMs) found near the surface at the former DRMO Yard.