Figure 1. Structures of explosives detected at the Fort Ord inland firing ranges

Site Characterization for Explosives Contamination at a Military Firing Range Impact Area

Figure 2. Fort Ord

SR98_09
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HMX

RDX

TNT

Figure 1. Structures of explosives detected at the Fort Ord inland firing ranges.

to work with EOD personnel to develop a proce-

for these compounds, and also identified for the

dure that takes advantage of the clearance activi-

two depth intervals sampled in the 1994 Army

ties to provide unmixed soil depth samples. The

study at Fort Ord, it is important to specify ex-

protocol must also provide procedural guidance

actly over what depth interval the 0.5-mg/kg con-

if chunks of explosive are encountered, and when

centration applies. Inclusion of soil from depths

intact UXO is discovered.

below 5 cm will probably reduce measured con-

centrations by dilution with soil containing much

lower concentrations of RDX.

Objective

This project has three major objectives. The first

A major complicating factor for both site char-

was to provide information to the U.S. Army En-

acterization and excavation for cleanup at impact

gineer District, Sacramento, on the current status

areas is the potential presence of unexploded ord-

of explosives contamination at Fort Ord's inland

nance (UXO) at and below the surface. EOD per-

impact ranges. This will include data on the areal

sonnel must clear the surface for us to gain access

and vertical extent of explosives contamination at

to sites, and, before sampling activities can take

several selected locations near specific tank tar-

place, clear UXOs at depth. This requirement will

gets, obtained 4 years after the 1994 study. The

be a major factor in the time and costs of sample

second objective was to develop a specific set of

collection and excavation for specific areas tar-

protocols to be used for more extensive site char-

geted for cleanup. To allow sampling at depth near

acterization that:

tank targets, EOD personnel will need to manu-

ally excavate the soil to the depth of interest to

Specify the method for collection and homog-

ensure that no UXO is present. Doing this will mix

enization of discrete soil samples.

the soil within the depth profiles and destroy

Assess the need for preparing composite

depth-specific information. It is possible, though,

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