Handbook on the Management of Munitions Response Actions

Book excerpt: This handbook has been written for regulators and the interested public to facilitate understanding of the wide variety of technical issues that surround the munitions response actions at current and former Department of Defense (DoD) facilities. The handbook is designed to provide a common nomenclature to aid in the management of munitions and explosives of concern (MEC) which includes: Unexploded ordnance (UXO) ; Abandoned and/or buried munitions (discarded military munitions, or DMM), and ; Soil with properties that are reactive and/or ignitable due to contamination with munitions constituents. The handbook also discusses common chemical residues (called munitions constituents) of explosives that may or may not retain reactive and/or ignitable properties but could have a potential impact on human health and the environment through a variety of pathways (surface and subsurface, soil, air and water).