Environmental issues at a former firing range on Governors Island, New York
- U.S. Coast Guard, Governors Island, NY (United States)
- Daniel, Mann, Johnson, & Mendenhall, Arlington, VA (United States)
Hundreds of firing ranges used to discharge small caliber arms are located at military bases slated for closure throughout the United States, each posing unique assessment, remediation, and closure challenges. These former firing ranges are typically impacted with bullets that cause surficial soil contamination with the heavy metals lead, copper, and zinc and may pose a risk to adjacent populations through ingestion or inhalation contact. Due to the random distribution of bullets at former firing range sites, the collection of representative and homogenous soil samples is difficult. Soil lead concentrations at Governors Island varied from 10 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) to over 50,000 mg/kg. Although the US Environmental Protection Agency has adopted guidance concentrations for lead in residential soils (400 mg/kg), guidance for commercial or industrials sites is unavailable. Because of the chemistry of the metal complexes and surficial soils, impacts to ground water are typically minimal because these metals are not mobile in the surficial soils where they accumulate and soil pH concentrations are not acidic enough to induce downward mobility. The evaluation and selection of appropriate remedial alternative(s) and clean-up concentrations should consider the historical and future use of the military base. Governors Island, for instance, has been occupied for over 500 years and has experienced military action during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 and clean-up to natural or background concentrations may not be realistic. Base closure and future land use of former firing ranges should dictate the selection of the appropriate remedial solutions. Remedial options to be evaluated include simple control measures (e.g. fencing, impervious cover), stabilization, and soil removal.
- Research Organization:
- National Association of Environmental Professionals, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 125982
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9506115-; TRN: 95:006735-0077
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 20. National Association of Environmental Professionals annual conference and exposition: environmental challenges - the next twenty years, Washington, DC (United States), 10-13 Jun 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Environmental challenges: The next 20 years. Proceedings; PB: 932 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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