EPA Releases Long Awaited Report on Alternative OB/OD Technologies

Washington, D.C. The EPA finally released its final report on Alternatives To OB/OD of energetic hazardous wastes after studying the topic for nearly two years. The report merely presents an overview of alternative treatment technologies organized by the following categories:

• case opening technologies for what EPA classifies as thick and thin cased munitions;
• energetic material removal technologies;
• energetic material destruction technologies; and
• decontamination technologies.

  The report presents information on several specific technologies or approaches within each category that have been used in CONUS or internationally and included technologies that were "widely tested, but had limited success."

  The report also included a matrix of the technologies with generic information on each technology including whether or not the technology has been approved by DDESB; the scale of the technology (full, pilot, prototype, or bench); portability (fixed, semi-portable or portable); the applicability to thin-cased munitions, thick-cased munitions, and bulk energetic material; the types of material treated or claimed to be have been treated by the technology developers / vendors; facilities where the technology has been applied; output; and whether or not pre and/or post treatment is required.

  Download the EPA's Report on OB/OD alternatives from UXOInfo.com.