5.3. SR 05-08-1995,.~r ~~ Item 5.3
ty of ~~ MEMORANDUM
River TO: Mayor & City Council
lk •
FROM: Steve Rohlf, BZ Administrator
DATE: May 8, 1995 ~~'
SUBJECT: Proposal by Alliant Techsystems to
Dismantle Military Explosive
Projectiles
Alliant Techsystems, located approximately five miles northeast of Elk River
in the City of St. Francis, has applied to the Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency (MPCA) for a permit to dismantle eight inch military explosive
projectiles.
Concerns
Groundwater -Alliant Techsystems' site is close enough to Elk River that
• spills could affect our groundwater. However, staff is satisfied that with the
secondary containment at their site, leak detection, and the nature of the
materials involved, groundwater concerns are being adequately addressed.
Haul Routes -Amore important concern to the residents of the City of Elk
River is that the materials involved with the dismantling of these military
projectiles would be hauled in and out of Alliant Techsystems site through
Elk River via Highway 169. The current proposal would last for
approximately eight to twelve months. An additional three year contract
could be awarded to Alliant Techsystems in the future.
Materials Hauled to the Facility -Approximately seven trucks per week
containing eight inch projectiles would pass through Elk River on route to
Alliant Techsystems' site. These explosive projectiles date as far back as
World War II. They are a type of explosive projectile that was designed to
penetrate concrete bunkers. According to representatives of MPCA, these
shells would be extremely stable during a vehicle accident. The shells
themselves are submitted to an eighteen foot drop test to ensure that they
are stable. Detonators are also removed.
Staff's concern with these shells being hauled to the Alliant Techsystems site
• is if an accident involved a fire. Although it is unlikely, it is possible that a
fire could detonate these shells. It has been reported to city staff that in case
13065 Orono Parkway • P.O. Box 490 • Elk River, MN 55330 • (612) 441-7420 • Fax: (612) 441-7425
• of a vehicle fire, standard procedure would be to evacuate a one mile radius
area and let the vehicle burn. The explosive material involved is ammonium
picrate. Although you would not want to breathe the fumes from a fire
involving ammonium picrate, fumes are not a major concern.
Materials Hauled From Alliant Techsystems Site -The component of the
dismantled projectiles of concern again would be the ammonium picrate.
Approximately one double walled, heat jacketed tanker truck per week would
remove the ammonium picrate from Alliant Techsystems site and haul it
through Elk River via Highway 169. Ammonium picrate is considered a
hazardous waste and would have to be disposed of in an out of state facility.
For safe handling, the ammonium picrate would be placed in a ten percent
water solution which makes it extremely unlikely to explode. The Minnesota
Department of Transportation down-classifies ammonium picrate in this
water solution from an explosive material to a flammable material.
However, in case of a fire, I believe the procedure would still be evacuate and
let burn.
Recommendation
MPCA's comment period for Alliant Techsystems' permit is open until
• 5/15/95. Staff recommends we make the following comments to MPCA,
Alliant Techsystems, and also the Minnesota Department of Transportation
Hazardous Materials Division.
1. That a mechanism is developed to provide Sherburne County and the City
of Elk River with immediate notification if an incident occurs involving
the vehicles hauling ammonium picrate. We should also specifically
address this contingency in our emergency preparedness plans with
training from Alliant Techsystems.
2. That all trucks going to and coming from the facility are provided with a
front and rear escort vehicle. Escort vehicles will avoid the truck from
being run into and, also, if the driver of a truck hauling projectiles is
killed in the accident, it will leave somebody to give us immediate
notification.
3. That low traffic hours are considered for hauling this material through
Elk River, such as the middle of the night, and avoiding opening weekend
of fishing.
If the Council agrees, staff will pass these comments on to the appropriate
agencies.
•
In case the council wishes to ask questions directly to representatives of the
various agencies, staff's contacts in this matter were the following:
Paul Hoff
Director
Environmental Planning and Review Office
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
296-7799
Dan Card
MPCA Hazardous Waste Division
297-8379
Dave Belluck
MPCA Toxicologist
296-7874
Jim Fitzsimmons
Environmental Engineer
Alliant Techsystems
639-7139
• John Lichter
B.A. Liesch and Associates
559-1423
Pete Marcotte
MNDOT
Hazardous Materials Division
296-7109
council: alliant/steve r
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