Chapter 25 - Military Solid and Hazardous Wastes—Assessment of Issues at Military Facilities and Base Camps

Abstract

This Chapter explores military waste issues. It focuses on the issues associated with the United States Army from existing military facilities and from base camp operations. The Army has facilities to house and train troops, store munitions, support operational commands, conduct research and development, and engage in the production of munitions. Of course, many facilities combine several aspects of these activities. Within these facilities, a wide range of activities can take place, each of which may result in the generation of various waste streams. These include typical household wastes from housing areas, office wastes from various administrative and command activities, landscaping wastes, and construction and demolition (C&D) wastes. Therefore, in many ways, wastes generated at military facilities are similar to civilian residential communities and commercial facilities. However, training areas in particular provide substantially different waste issues than commonly found in civilian environments. Another area of substantial difference is the management of explosive munitions, particularly the decommissioning of out-of-specification materials.