2007
		Assessment of the Continuing Operability of Chemical Agent Disposal Facilities and Equipment The U.S. Army’s Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) currently oversees contracts for the operation of chemical agent stockpile incineration facilities at four disposal sites. Because the period of time required to dispose of these chemical agents has grown beyond that originally planned, the Army is becoming concerned about the possibility of growing operational problems as the processing equipment ages. To help address these concerns, the CMA requested the NRC to assess whether current policies and practices will be able to adequately anticipate and address facility obsolescence issues. This report presents a review of potential infrastructure and equipment weaknesses given that the facilities are being operated well beyond their original design lifetime; an assessment of the Army’s current and evolving obsolescence management programs; and offers recommendations about how the programs may be improved and strengthened to permit safe and expeditious completion of agent stockpile destruction and facility closure.
		Letter Report Review and Assessment of Industrial Hygiene Standards and Practices at Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility As part of its continuing efforts to destroy the nation’s stockpile of chemical weapons, the U.S. Army Materiel Command conducted a Surety Management Review (SMR) that evaluated the Industrial Hygiene (IH) program at the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (TOCDF). The IH program at TOCDF was given a rating of “Mission Capable with Limitations.” In order to obtain an independent assessment, the Chemical Materials Agency requested the National Research Council (NRC) to review and assess the IH Standards and Practices at TOCDF as they relate to the SMR. This letter report presents an analysis of the SRM findings; an overview of the TOCDF IH Program; a comparison of the performance at TOCDF and specification standards; and recommendations for improving both the IH program and its review.
		Review of Chemical Agent Secondary Waste Disposal and Regulatory Requirements Under the direction of the U.S. Army’s Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) and mandated by Congress, the nation is destroying its chemical weapons stockpile. Large quantities of secondary waste are being generated in the process, and managing these wastes safely and effectively is a critical part of CMA’s weapons disposal program. To assist, the CMA asked the NRC to examine the environmental and regulatory requirements that secondary waste treatment is subject to, and to assess best practices by industry in meeting such requirements for similar facilities. This report presents an overview of secondary wastes from chemical agent disposal facilities (CDF), a comparison of CDF and industry experience, site-specific analysis of major secondary waste issues, an examination of closure wastes, and findings and recommendations.
		2005
		Monitoring at Chemical Agent Disposal Facilities Under the direction of the U.S. Army’s Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) and mandated by Congress, the nation is destroying its chemical weapons stockpile. Over the past several years, the Army has requested several studies from the NRC to assist with the stockpile destruction. This study was requested to advise the CMA about the status of analytical instrumentation technology and systems suitable for monitoring airborne chemical warfare agents at chemical weapons disposal and storage facilities. The report presents an assessment of current monitoring systems used for airborne agent detection at CMA facilities and of the applicability and availability of innovative new technologies. It also provides a review of how new regulatory requirements would affect the CMA’s current agent monitoring procedures, and whether new measurement technologies are available and could be effectively incorporated into the CMA’s overall chemical agent monitoring strategies.
		2004
		Effects of Degraded Agents and Munitions Anomalies on Chemical Stockpile Disposal Operations The U.S. Army is in the process of destroying its entire stockpile of chemical weapons. To help with stockpile disposal, the Army’s Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (CSDP), in 1987, asked the NRC for scientific and technical advice. This report is one in a series of such prepared by the NRC over the last 16 years in response to that request In presents an examination of the effect of leaking munitions (leakers) and other anomalies in the stored stockpile on the operation of the chemical agent disposal facilities. The report presents a discussion of potential causes of these anomalies, leaker tracking and analysis issues, risk implications of anomalies, and recommendations for monitoring and containing these anomalies during the remaining stockpile life.
		2003
		Assessment of Processing Gelled GB M55 Rockets at Anniston In 1985, Congress mandated the destruction of the stockpile of M55 rockets stored at several chemical weapons storage sites in the United States and its possessions because of the risk that the rockets may self-ignite. Risk assessments performed by the Army indicate the risk to the public is dominated by M55 rockets containing the nerve agent sarin (GB). During the disposal of these GB M55 rockets at a site in Tooele, Utah, it was discovered that the agent had gelled in a significant percentage of the rockets. In these cases, the standard destruction method would not work. The Army devised an alternate mechanism for incinerating the gelled rockets, but the State of Utah limited their disposal rate using this process. The Army, however, has since developed plans for increasing the destruction rate of gelled rockets and proposes that this method be used at Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (ANCDF) in Anniston, Alabama. To assist in this effort, the Army asked the National Research Council (NRC) to evaluate the Army’s plan for higher destruction rates. Former Congressman Robert Riley (now Alabama’s governor) also requested an NRC assessment. This study was carried out by the NRC ad hoc Committee on Review of Army Planning for the Disposal of M55 Rockets at the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility.
		2002
		Closure and Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS), the first fully integrated chemical agent disposal facility, is located on Johnston Island some 800 miles southwest of Hawaii. JACADS completed ten years of operations in November 2000, which resulted in the disposal of more than 2000 tons of nerve and mustard agents. In 1998, the Army began planning for closure and dismantling of the facility. In 1999, the NRC was asked to review the Army’s planning. This report presents an assessment of planned and ongoing closure activities on Johnston Island in some detail. It also provides an analysis of the likely implications for closure of disposal facilities at eight continental U.S. storage sites.
		Evaluation Of Chemical Events At Army Chemical Agent Disposal Facilities For over a decade the Army has been carrying out a program aimed at the destruction of accumulated chemical weapons stored at several sites. While destruction by incineration has been successful, several incidents – called chemical events – occurred during the disposal process or decontamination activities that raised some public concerns about the safety of operations of three third generation incineration facilities. As a result, the Congress asked the NRC to investigate whether the incidents provide information useful to help ensure safe operation of the future sites. This report presents an analysis of causes of and responses to past chemical events, implications of such events for ongoing and future demilitarization activities, and recommendations for preparing for future events.
		Review of Proposed Process Changes for Expedited Disposal of the Aberdeen Stockpile of Bulk Mustard Agent (Letter Report)
		Review of Proposed Process Changes for Expedited Disposal of the Newport Stockpile of Bulk VX Nerve Agent (Letter Report)
		2001
		Assessment of Supercritical Water Oxidation Technology Development for Treatment of VX Hydrolysate at the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (Letter Report)
		A Modified Baseline Incineration Process for Mustard Projectiles at Pueblo Chemical Depot
		Occupational Health and Workplace Monitoring at Chemical Agent Disposal Facilities
		2000
		Integrated Design of Alternative Technologies for Bulk-Only Chemical Agent Disposal Facilities
		Obstacles to Closure of the Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (Letter Report)
		A Review of the Army's Public Affairs Efforts in Support of the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program
		1999
		Carbon Filtration for Reducing Emissions from Chemical Agent Incineration
		Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility: Update on National Research Council Recommendations
		1998
		Using Supercritical Water Oxidation to Treat Hydrolysate from VX Neutralization
		1997
		Risk Assessment and Management at Deseret Chemical Depot and the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility
		1996
		Public Involvement and the Army Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (Letter Report)
		Review of Systemization of the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility
		1995
		Evaluation of the Army's Draft Assessment Criteria to Aid in the Selection of Alternative Technologies for Chemical Demilitarization
		1994
		Evaluation of the Johnston Atoll Chemical Agency Disposal System: Operational Verification Testing, Part II
		Recommendations for the Disposal of Chemical Agents And Munitions
		Review of Monitoring Activities Within the Army Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program
		1993
		Evaluation of the Johnston Atoll Chemical Agency Disposal System: Operational Verification Testing, Part I
		Specific Actions to Further Enhance the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (CSDP) Risk Management Process (Letter Report)
		1992
		Review of the Choice and Status of Incineration for Destruction of the Chemical Stockpile (Letter Report)
		1991
		Review of the Mitre Report: Evaluation of the GB Rocket Campaign: Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS) Operational Verification Testing (OVT)
		Workshop on the Pollution Abatement System of the Chemical Agent Demilitarization System (Letter Report)
		1989
		Comments on Operational Verification Test and Evaluation Master Plan for the Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS)
		Demilitarization of Chemical Weapons: On-Site Handling of Munitions (Letter Report)
		1984
		Disposal of Chemical Munitions and Agents