ESTCP Pilot Program. Classification Approaches in Munitions Response, San Luis Obispo, California
Abstract
The Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP) is charged with characterizing and remediating munitions-contaminated sites. Current technology does not provide a physics-based, quantitative, validated means to discriminate between hazardous munitions and nonhazardous items. The MMRP is severely constrained by available resources. Remediation of the entire inventory using current practices is cost prohibitive, within current and anticipated funding levels. The Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) has initiated a Classification Pilot Program to validate the application of a number of recently developed technologies in a comprehensive approach to munitions response. The pilot program envisions a series of such demonstrations at live sites of increasing difficulty. A hillside range at the former Camp San Luis Obispo, CA was selected for the second of these demonstrations. The demonstration at the former Camp San Luis Obispo showed substantial classification ability on a site that was more challenging than the Camp Sibert demonstration site with a wider mix of targets of interest (TOI). In the application of classification analyses to carefully collected survey data from commercial EM sensors, the best performers correctly classified all or nearly all of the targets of interest, while achieving reductions of up to 50% in the number of non-TOI. Recently-developed EMI sensors, optimized for UXO classification, demonstrated at San Luis Obispo showed outstanding results. A simple cost model based on these results shows the potential for large savings as the classification approach is adopted on munitions response sites. This report is intended to provide an overview of the key results from the second phase of the pilot program for project managers, regulators and contractors. The focus of this report is on commercial instruments with available processing and emerging purpose-built munitions classification sensors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA571502
Entities
People
- Anne M. Andrews
- Herb Nelson
- Katherine Kaye
Organizations
- Environmental Security Technology Certification Program