Risk Mitigation of Chemical Munitions in a Deepwater GeoHazard Assessment

Abstract

Abstract The Department of Defense is currently conducting a review of archival information in attempt to verify the types, quantities, and locations of chemical warfare material and conventional munitions disposed of by DoD in waters of the United States, in accordance with Section 314 of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and report the results of that review annually in the Defense Environmental Programs Annual Report to Congress. Previous to this effort, disposal of military munitions including chemical warfare materials (CWM) and conventional munitions, in the ocean from World War I through 1970 was not well documented In accordance with Section 314, the Department of Defense published updated information on disposals in the 2006 and 2007 " Defense Environmental Programs Annual Report to Congress.?? Two directives implemented in 2006 and 2007, respectively, by the Minerals Management Service (MMS) referenced an increased concern with UXO in deep water (NTLs 2006-G12 and 2007-G01) The Department of Interior regulates off-shore drilling. Navy, as executive agent for the Department of Defense, has a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Department of Interior's Mineral Management Service, to provide consultation on decisions to permit Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Minerals Management Service (MMS) develops 5-year leasing programs for oil and gas lease sales to meet national energy needs consistent with the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act [43 USC 1341]. MMS follows a formal, rigorous, lengthy, multi-step process of public consultation and analysis before the Secretary of the Interior may approve a new 5-year program. This process includes: initial solicitation of comments; development of a draft proposed program, a proposed program, a proposed final program, and ultimately Secretarial approval. Pursuant to the OCS Lands Act, MMS also prepares an Environmental Impacts Statement (EIS) that analyzes the alternatives considered for any new 5-year program. Each of the above-referenced program steps, in addition to requisite draft EIS Federal Register Notices of Availability, provides for public review and comment opportunity. This entire 5-yr program development process takes roughly three years to complete and affords amply opportunity for our department, and the public, to provide comments on the process and draft and final program. During these many comment periods, and as the new 5-year program develops from draft to proposed final plan, pertinent information such as the location of active offshore military range areas and past military munitions disposal and former range activity will be provided by the Navy to MSS as appropriate to the new 5-year program development process to avoid incompatible uses of the OCS.