U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s Amendment for NAS Study of Alternatives to Open Burning/Open Detonation
U.S Senator Tammy Baldwin filed an amendment to halt open burning of the military's hazardous waste munitions. The provision is stated below.
NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES STUDY ON CONVENTIONAL MUNITIONS DEMILITARIZATION ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES.
a) In General.--The Secretary of the Army shall enter into an arrangement with the Board on Army Science and technology of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study of the conventional munitions demilitarization program of the Department of Defense.
b) Elements.--The study required pursuant to subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1) A review of the current conventional munitions demilitarization stockpile, including types of munitions and types of materials contaminated with propellants or energetics, and the disposal technologies used.
(2) An analysis of disposal, treatment, and reuse technologies, including technologies currently used by the Department and emerging technologies used or being developed by private or other governmental agencies, including a comparison of cost, throughput capacity, personnel safety, and environmental impacts.
(3) An identification of munitions types for which alternatives to open burning, open detonation, or non-closed loop incineration/combustion are not used.
(4) An identification and evaluation of any barriers to full-scale deployment of alternatives to open burning, open detonation, or non-closed loop incineration/combustion, and recommendations to overcome such barriers.
(5) An evaluation whether the maturation and deployment of governmental or private technologies currently in research and development would enhance the conventional munitions demilitarization capabilities of the Department.
(c) Submittal to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense
Click here for the amendment document