Incineration of Explosive Contaminated Soil as a Means of Site Remediation

Large scale releases of explosive contaminated water have occurred in connection with manufacture of explosives, with load assembly and pack operations and at centers for the disassembly and recycle of munitions. The most serious contamination is at sites where explosive contaminated pink water was discarded in unlined evaporation lagoons. Sediments in pink water lagoons normally contain a high concentration of explosive and contamination of ground- water is usually the result. In an effort to remediate this hazard, the U.S. Army has chosen incineration of the contaminated soil as the best means of remediation. Although there is general agreement as to the superiority of incineration for this purpose, the process is complex and environmental, legal and financial questions remain.