Recommendations for the Disposal of Chemical Agents and Munitions (1994) / Chapter Skim
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Selection Criteria
Selection Criteria
Pages 61-84
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From page 61... ...
They include both immediate and delayed effects. For brevity in the following sections, and with recognition that the consequences of sustained risk accumulate in time, this is referred to as the 'icumulative total risk minimization cntenon.'t RISK Risk can be defined as the expected value of a consequence.
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From page 62... ...
IE PUBLIC, THE ENVIRONMENT) With cumulative total risk minimization as the overriding criterion for the consideration of stockpile disposal technologies, it is important to clearly define what is meant by risk particularly health risk.
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From page 63... ...
To date, the development of risk assessments for the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program has been motivated largely by consideration of the risks Tom accidents. With respect to the risk from accidents, considerable progress has been made in recent years in designing safety into engineered facilities (e.g., nuclear power plants)
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From page 64... ...
The Army's 198& programmatic risk assessment of the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (discussed later in this chapter under risk assessment activities) notes that uncertainty in risk assessment arises from many causes, including the inadequacy of data, inaccuracies of modeling, and the incomplete identification and understanding of accident phenomena Error factors used to characterize the uncertainty inherent in each accident probability "point estimate" were obtained Tom detailed analyses of accident scenarios (U.S.
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From page 65... ...
on ~ ~ ' ha In a Aft fr Cal ~0 .
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From page 66... ...
Compliance with these standards requires specific actions such as monitored trial burns prior to operation and continuous monitoring during full-scale operations. Risk assessments of accidents, transients or upsets, and normal operations can be developed at different levels of detail depending on the available knowledge and the intended uses of the results.
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From page 67... ...
Once inside the disposal building, the risk of agent release to the environment is greatly reduced because of extensive physical containment safeguards inside the disposal facility. In addition to the risks of accidental agent release during storage and handling, there is the risk from releases during normal disposal operations.
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From page 68... ...
There are extensive air monitoring programs at Tooele and JACADS, as there were at Rocky Mountain Arsenal. However, there are currently no dose-response mon~tonog programs at JACADS or Tooele, since accurate health effects studies cannot be performed unless it is possible to measure exposure dose.
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From page 69... ...
This provides a comfortable safety margin to normal occupational exposure under current standards. The Health Effects from Normal Operations Most of the risk assessments that have been perforTned relative to chemical stockpile disposal have dealt with the accidental release of agent.
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From page 70... ...
This proposed evaluation has been titled "Health Effects of Waste Incineration" and win examine the potential health effects from incinerators in general (rather than Tom incinerators that handle specific substances such as ache agents in the chemical stockpile) , under both steady and upset operating conditions.
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From page 71... ...
It might be possible to evaluate the impact of Incineration technologies at various hazardous waste sites around the world in a comprehensive health effects study, such as the National Research Council evaluation previously discussed. Such a study is beyond the intent of the stockpile disposal program.
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From page 72... ...
Army, 1988) was performed to evaluate the risk of agent exposure from accidents while using the baseline system for the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (CSDP)
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From page 73... ...
Thus they do not alter the conclusion that storage risks are relatively much larger than disposal risks. Since the storage risk will continue with time, the total time at risk and its cumulative effect, represented by the area under the risk cuIve, will increase if the disposal program is delayed.
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From page 74... ...
0.025 0.020 0.015 0.010 O e 0 05 o _ _~ I ~ ~ 1 STORAGE RISK \ _ ~T~ DISPOSAL RISK ~ C . 11 BEGIN DISPOSAL OPERATIONS DISPOSAL COMPLETE FIGURE 4-3 Risk of stockpile storage and disposal.
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From page 75... ...
Figure 4-3 bnogs into sharp focus the importance of considenug both storage and disposal risks in my zing cumulative total nsk. If storage risks are dominant, then prompt disposal is the remedy.
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From page 76... ...
76 Recommendations for Disposal Estimated Fatalities/Year sir Delay ~~4G~ ;_ - \ \ \ \ TIME BEG1N 1 PROMPT DISPOSAL ~/~/~ END BEGIN 2 DELAYED DISPOSAL Added or Incremental Cumulative Consequences from Delayed Disposal POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF DELAYED DISPOSAL END FIGURE 44 Potential cumulative consequences of delayed disposal, for constant storage and disposal nsk.
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From page 77... ...
Site-specific risk assessments using quantitative risk assessment techniques provide a way of assessing the safety performance of the chemical agent and munitions disposal arid storage alternatives. Such analyses have been used successfully ~ other industries as the basis for managing risk and these have given assurance regarding the safetr of the facilities and the handling and processing of hazardous materials.
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From page 78... ...
Among the important general results are the following highlights: Overall · Accidents resulting from disposal operations have not been calculated to be major contributors to the risk from the overall Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program. · The accident risk is estimated to be greater for those activities of the program having to do with storage, transportation, and munitions ~ _ ~ handling.
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From page 79... ...
The highest-Dequency event calculated covenug disposal operations would be initiated by art inadvertent feed of an unpunched munition containing a burster to the dunnage incinerator (1072 per year for mines; - 10-3 per year for other munitions)
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From page 80... ...
RELATIVE RISKS OF ALTERNATIVE DISPOSAL TECHNOLOGIES The risks of accidents associated with agent and munitions disposal using the baseline system are now reasonably well identified. Detailed site-specific quantitative risk assessments are possible for both accidents arid normal Operations.
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From page 81... ...
Use of an alternative technology to allay fears is a possibility, but the actual trade-offs between an alternative technology and any component of the baseline system needs to be considered e~lic~ly in any decision about which technology to use. Another of the concerns is that the facility might continue to be used for hazardous waste disposal after all agents and munitions have been disposed.
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From page 82... ...
Successful public participation processes for some hazardous waste facilities have included features such as having members of the board of directors nominated by the community, having funds to support expenses incurred by community members of a plant co-management committee, requiring the support of local government for any expansion of treatment capacity or change in technology, and guaranteeing nearby proper values and crop prices (Castle, 1993; OFFE, 1993~. A growing literature summarizes case studies and approaches that have been used to ensure public safety and to enhance the public ' s confidence in the safe operation of potentially risky hazardous matenals facilities (Hence et al., 1988~.
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From page 83... ...
The Army's programmatic risk assessment was an adequate initial evaluation of the overall acute risks associated with storage and disposal using the baseline system. Both acute and chronic risks associated with storage operations and transport external to the disposal facility will be unaffected by the selection of disposal technology.
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From page 84... ...
Finally, the committee is keenly aware of citizen concerns other than risk associated with the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program. These concerns include socioeconomic impacts, public participation in the dec~sion-ma~ng process, program schedules, and program costs.
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