Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance (HERO) Concerns During UXO Location/Remediation

As part of most Department of Defense DOD environmental cleanup efforts, subsurface contaminants such as unexploded ordnance UXO and hazardous waste, together with geologic features such as ground water and soil layer boundaries must be located. Many currently available subsurface detection systems being proposed for this work are electromagnetic EM emitting devices such as ground penetrating radars, terrain conductivity meters, borehole loggers, and metal detectors. NAVSEAINST 8020.7B currently prohibits these systems from being used on any Navy facility where ordnance ismay be present prior to a hazards of electromagnetic radiation to ordnance HERO safety analysis being performed. Unfortunately, many of the Naval personnel in charge of administering EPA mandated environmental clean up efforts are not aware of the safety regulations governing the use of EM emitting devices at Naval installations and the potential threat to remediation personnel and equipment. This paper will discuss applicable safety instructions, their application and limitations, and will present limited HERO safety data for several remote sensing instruments that have been evaluated.