White Sands Missile Range - Executive Summary

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The accidental release prevention and emergency response policies at your facility. 
The White Sands complies with extensive environmental, safety, and emergency response requirements.  White Sands maintains three Fire Stations; each staffed with HAZMAT-trained personnel. The Fire Department at White Sands complies with Army Regulation (AR) 420-90.  AR 420-90 mandates compliance with all National Fire Protection Standards.  Station 1 is located at the White Sands Post Headquarters and services the post and lower range areas.  Station 1 would respond to the munitions storage area in the event of an Lance missile accident.  A total of twenty-seven trained HAZMAT response personnel are stationed at the Main Post Station.  Station 2 is located at Launch Complex 37 and provides emergency response to the missile launch complex areas in the vicinity of Nike Road as well as to the HELSTF, located along Highway 70.  Station 2 maintains 10 HAZMAT-trained personnel.  Station 3 is located at the St 
allion Range Center and services the upper range areas.  Eleven HAZMAT-trained personnel work out of station 3.  A total of 53 fire fighters are stationed at White Sands.   
 
A description of your facility and regulated substances handled.   
White Sands conducts testing and evaluation of military and commercial systems.  The Range is very large and isolated from the public.  The operations at White Sands that are covered by the Risk Management Program (RMP) regulation (40 CFR Part 68) include the storage of Lance missiles that contain unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) and inhibited red fuming nitric acid (IRFNA).  
 
The worst-case release scenario. 
Up to 50 Lance missiles may be stored in each of two munitions magazines (or bunkers) at White Sands.  Each missile contains 375.5 lbs of UDMH and 1106.5 lbs of IRFNA.  Because a fire involving one missile could potentially involve other missiles, the "process" was defined as all 50 missiles.  Fifty Lance missiles contain, in aggregate, 1 
8,775 lbs of UDMH and 55,325 lbs of IRFNA.  For purposes of this RMP, it was assumed that UDMH is 100% 1,1-dimethylhydrazine and IRFNA is 100% nitric acid; both of these are listed toxic substances.  In accordance with EPA guidance, the worst-case scenario for a toxic liquid is a leak from the largest container holding that liquid.  A worst case analysis for the single process was completed for both UDMH and IRFNA, however only UDMH is listed in the RMP, since it has the longest end point at 2.4 miles.  
 
Test results conducted in 1971 by the U.S. Army Missile Command Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, titled "Final Report Lance Missile System Hazardous Classification Tests" concluded a Lance missile in its shipping container subjected to a conflagration (fire) environment resulted in negligible blast pressures, likely incurring the failure of only one missile.   
 
For this analysis, leakage from a single missile was considered to be the worst-case scenario, since there is nothing about a liquid 
leak from one missile that would cause the other missiles to leak.  Although the missiles are stored within sealed transportation containers and the munitions magazines are enclosed, it was considered that a liquid spill was most likely during handling of the missiles.  The worst-case analysis, conducted using RMP*COMP, indicated that the missile storage magazines are Program Level 1 processes.  The toxic endpoint for a leak of 1,1-dimethylhydrazine was found to be 2.4 miles, and the munitions magazines are located approximately 4 miles from the nearest public receptor, which is the golf course at the main cantonment area of White Sands. 
 
The general accidental release prevention program and chemical-specific prevention steps. 
White Sands complies with the U.S. Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) requirements when handling and storing munitions of any type.  The DDESB standards are designed to minimize the potential for harm to human health and the environment.  In a 
ddition to this protective and stringent DDESB regulation followed at White Sands, the Fire Department is equipped with a first responders chemical and hazardous materials response bus.  The White Sands hazardous materials response bus is equipped with state of the art communications and response equipment.  Also a written environmental spill plan and a White Sands disaster control plan, up-dated 29 September 1997 and field tested 1 March 1999 is in place and ready for implementation in case of an accidental release. 
 
Five-year accident history.  
Within the past five years, the processes have had no accidental release that caused offsite impacts provided in the risk management program.  
 
The emergency response program.   
In the event of fire, explosion, or a release of a regulated substance from the magazines, entry within the distance to the specified endpoints may pose a danger to public emergency responders.   Therefore, public emergency responders should not enter this area except  
as arranged with the emergency contact indicated in the RMP.   The White Sands Fire Department is fully trained and prepared to respond to fires at White Sands.  The White Sands Fire Department would be the first responders in the event of a fire at the missile storage magazines.    
 
Planned changes to improve safety.  None.
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