For more than 80 years, Holston Army Ammunition Plant (TN) has continuously burned hazardous waste in the open air, causing the uncontrolled release of toxic chemicals to the environment. Such domestic burn pits are operating in communities across U.S. and its territories.
A national coalition of 26 environmental organizations has submitted a formal joint request to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee for a financial audit to inform both Congress and the public with a measure of damages caused by open air burning and detonation of toxic energetic waste in communities around the U.S. and its territories.
Waste explosives, when burned or detonated in the open air, have the potential to release heavy metals, perchlorate, particulate matter, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), dioxins/furans, explosive compounds, and other toxic and hazardous contaminants to the environment. Pyrotechnic compositions of magnesium/Teflon/Viton (MTV) are widely used in military flares and for igniting the solid propellant of a rocket motor. Often referred to as “decoy” flares, countermeasure flares are comprised of as much as 45% PFAS.
According to EPA records, approximately 225 treatment storage or disposal facilities (TSDFs) have or had OB/OD units in the U.S. This is the cumulative total of OB/OD facilities that have operated under RCRA since the 1980 standards for owners and operators of TSDFs were finalized. Of the 225 TSDFs, 66 facilities were still operating under either interim status or a permit as of May 2022. These 66 OB/OD facilities are operated by both the private and public sector including the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy.
The September 20 joint request coordinated by CSWAB asks that the Congressional audit of these domestic burn pits include the cost of restoring injured natural resources to their baseline condition, the interim or long-term loss of injured resources pending recovery including degradation and harm to natural systems including soil, water, air and biodiversity.
Request Congressional Audit of Resource Damage OB OD Patty Murray FINAL 20 Sept 2023