[ RadSafe ] Re: depleted uranium cherry & battle

[Dlind49 at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/30/06 2:27:44 PM Central Standard Time, 
don.mercado at lmco.com writes:
I'm not sure why he keeps waiving 700-48 around. It is a logistics
regulation addressing handling of contaminated equipment. It has been
clearly shown that it doesn't apply, and contains no mandatory
environment cleanup requirements. At least he's consistent with his
errors.
Don: AR 700-48 is absolutely applicable as required by the order that 
triggered by assignment / work as Director of the U.S. Army Depleted Uranium Project 
in response to the staff study that I wrote and submitted as part of AEPI 
study and my Gulf War DU tean written and oral reports. General Shinseki's August 
1993 order mandated environmental clean up- management procedures in addition 
to training and medical care. I developed all three. Considering that you were 
never involved at all I find it very interesting that you make a comment that 
AR 700-48 is not applicable when that is the entire purpose of why I wrote AR 
700-48 and why it was adopted.   

It deals with unfired and fired DU rounds, DU fragments, DU contamination, 
contaminated equipmnent, comtaminated buildings, contaminated bunkers, 
contaminated vehicles, contaminated terrain, simply contaminated everything. 

Our  1995 AEPI report also mandated environmental management too.  

The rad hazards we address with AR 700-48 are DU plus all other rad sources 
released during miltary operations of any type and at any time. 


Section 2-4 is all about environmental clean up- mitigation of rad hazards to 
mimimize- prevent continuous exposures.  I am the primary  author of that 
Army regulation. The regulation is used in conjunction with DA PAM 700-48 and the 
4 videos I/ we did. 1. Basic awareness, 2. Contaminated equipment recovery, 
3. BDAR, and 4. Rad equip. You need to add UXO to thsat too.  My DU project 
team explosive experts did that at Redstone. The purpose of procedures specified 
in AR 700-48 section 2-4 are to mitigate exposures by using our validated   
procedures for clean up- management of contamination contained in DA PAM 700-48 
that I also wrote. The max radiation exposure dose rates are specified in 
appendix F of TB 9-1300-278. 
We found that after DU munitions were used that you could never get down to 
or below those max dose rates.  



Army Regulation 700-48 and the DA PAM 700-48, the DU CTT, and TB 9-130-278 
and the 40 hours curriculum that I all wrote are based on our actual experience 
and from test results of my research components of the burn and impact test 
that I / we conducted at the Nevada Test Site.  I wrote major portions of both 
tests, conducted the tests, collected- analysed the data, and then developed 
adopted procedures based on the validated findings and conclusions. 

The procedures are to be used by anyone encountering DU and specifically the 
ACERT- my team - and BDAR teams. 

Here is section 2-4 of AR 700-48. 

AR 700-48 Section 2-4. Handling of RCE
a. General.
(1) During peacetime or as soon as operational risk permits, the 
Corps/JTF/Division Commander's RSO will
identify, segregate, isolate, secure, and label all RCE. Procedures to 
minimize the spread of radioactivity will be
implemented as soon as possible.
(2) Radiologically contaminated equipment does not prevent the use of a 
combat vehicle or equipment for a combat
mission.
(3) RSO must consider the operational situation, mission, level of 
contamination, and types of contaminate when
evaluating the need to utilize contaminated equipment.
(4) After the Corps Commander certifies the equipment is decontaminated IAW 
established OEG or peacetime
regulations, it may be reutilized.
(5) The equipment for release for unrestricted use must be decontaminated to 
comply with peacetime regulations
versus OEG.
(6) Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Units will render equipment safe prior 
to retrograde operations when
appropriate.
b. Use and cannibalization.
(1) The operation of RCE or cannibalization is prohibited unless the 
commander has determined that:
(a) The operational risk is comparable to that found in combat.
(b) The equipment is required for mission completion.
(c) Under no condition shall the following items be used or cannibalized if 
damaged: MC-1 Soil Moisture Density
Tester (Soil and Asphalt) (NSN 6635-01-030-6896), or commercially procured 
TROXLER Surface Moisture-Density
Gauge AN/UDM-2 RADIAC Calibrator Set (NSN 6665-00-179-9037), AN/UDM-6 RADIAC 
Calibrator Set (NSN
6665-00-767-7497).
(2) Under those circumstances in which the commander has waived prohibitive 
use (see para 2-4b(1)) and deter-mined
that the operational risk is comparable to combat, equipment may be 
decontaminated and used for a specified
mission. Once the circumstances are met, operational necessity is over, that 
waived contaminated equipment will be
handled IAW peacetime procedures.
c. Handling.
(1) The unit/team/individual responsible for the equipment, whether friendly 
or foreign, at the time of damage or
contamination is responsible for taking all action consistent with this 
regulation and DA PAM 700-48.
(2) The MACOM commander may designate a radioactive waste/commodity 
processing facility. The ACERT,
RADCON and RAMT Teams may be deployed to assist in the processing and 
management supervision of RCE.
(3) Maintenance forms, warning tags, and other forms of communication will be 
used to ensure that personnel
involved in the reclamation are aware of the contamination status.
(4) In peacetime, RCE will be transported to the command esignated location 
for receipt of radioactive material
where the extent of contamination can be assessed and remediated under 
controlled conditions.
(5) In peacetime, the Corps/JTF/Division Commander's RSO monitor the 
separation of RCE from uncontaminated
equipment. The separation must be maintained throughout the entire handling 
process.
(6) All equipment, to include captured or combat RCE, will be surveyed, 
packaged, retrograded, decontaminated and
released IAW Technical Bulletin 9-1300-278, DA PAM 700-48 and other relevant 
guidance.
(7) Equipment will be decontaminated to the maximum extent as far forward in 
theater as possible, IAW the OEG.
Under all other conditions, decontamination in-theater will be performed only 
in accordance with guidance from the
ACERT/RADCON/Chemical Officer/NBC Staff.
d. Personal Safety. Personnel handling contaminated equipment need to follow 
the personal safety measures outlined
in DA PAM 700-48 and AR 40-5.
e. Disposal.
(1) In general, environmental impact must be considered prior to equipment 
retrograde. Retrograde operations must
minimize the spread of contamination preventing further harm to personnel and 
damage to equipment.
(2) Radioactive material and waste will not be locally disposed of through 
burial, submersion, incineration, destruc-tion
in place, or abandonment without approval from overall MACOM commander. If 
local disposal is approved, the
responsible MACOM commander must document the general nature of the disposed 
material and the exact location of
the disposal. As soon as possible the MACOM commander must forward all 
corresponding documentation to the Chief,
Health Physicist, AMCSF-P, HQAMC.
(3) Demilitarization in the field is authorized only as a means to ensure 
that the equipment will not fall into enemy
hands.
5 AR 700-48 o 16 September 2002