Map showing nine grids within SWMU 6 |
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Geophysical Investigation
Client: G-tek, on behalf of Environmental Chemical Corporation and the United States Army Corps of Engineers
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ARM directed the digital geophysical mapping (DGM) activities at the Tooele Army Depot (TEAD) on behalf of Environmental Chemical Corporation (ECC) and G-tek. ECC was contracted by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Sacramento District to conduct the Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) investigation and subsequent remediation efforts for two Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs): SWMU-6 and SWMU-8. SWMU-6 was a 2.5 acre former burnout area and SWMU-8 was a 5 acre small arms firing range. Previous document searches and surface sweeps indicated that: 81mm, and other sized, mortars were potentially within SWMU-6 and 40mm practice, and possibly High Explosive (HE), rounds were within SWMU-8. Accordingly, these two items were considered the MEC items of interest for each SWMU.
To expedite remediation activities, ECC required that all geophysical data acquisition, processing, interpretation, discrimination, and reacquisition activities be completed on-site in a time sensitive manner. Initially, ARM worked with Gtek field geophysicists and completed Quality Control (QC) testing consistent with USACE, ARM, and G-tek quality control standards. Production DGM activities were then conducted using a G-tek TM-5 EMU electromagnetic detector. ARM processed and interpreted the data, categorized the resulting geophysical anomalies according to their similarity to MEC items, and documented the corresponding reacquire activities. Reacquisition refers to field marking of the coordinate locations where data analysis indicates that specific anomalies most likely represent MEC. The marked sites are then excavated and remediated by UXO removal experts.
ARM interpreted 6,237 anomalies at SWMU 6 and 13,756 anomalies at SWMU 8. Between 10 and 15 percent of those anomalies were considered to be potential MECs through a process of discrimination. Subsequently, ARM and G-tek reacquired the MEC-like anomalies for a handful of grids in each SWMU and tabulated the results. No 81mm mortars were found in SWMU 6 and 40mm practice rounds were found in approximately 40% of the reacquired anomalies in SWMU 8. ECC used the results to select an appropriate remediation technology for each site.
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