Presentation from 5th International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions. Provides an overview of US disposals of munitions with details on several operations between 1919 and 1970.

1. Select Munitions Disposal Operations
In US Coastal Waters
Geoff Carton, CALIBRE Systems, Inc
5th International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - May 2015

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Agenda
• Context for disposals in US waters
• Sources of underwater military munitions (UWMM)
• Disposal methods
• Disposal sites in US waters
• Disposal of chemical warfare materiel (CWM) in
US waters
• USS Elinor
• SS Ralston
• Operation Cut Holes and Sink ‘Em (CHASE)
• Conclusions

3. Context for Military Munitions
Disposals in US Waters

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Sources of UWMM in US Coastal Waters
Military munitions are present in US waters as a result of:
• Live-fire testing and training
– Current (ongoing)
– Past (e.g., closed installations, defense sites, such as forts, coastal artillery
batteries)
• Combat operations (Acts of War through WWII)
• Sea disposal (ended in 1970)
• Accidents (periodic) and disposal (e.g., jettisoning) during
emergencies

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History of US Sea Disposal Operations
• Military forces have always needed to dispose of excess, obsolete
and unserviceable military munitions
– Excess inventory following conflicts
– Munitions for weapon systems no longer in DoD’s weapon system
inventory (e.g., cannon balls)
– Deteriorating munitions (e.g., leaking or exuding) or munitions not
performing as designed
– Captured enemy munitions
• Disposals were generally conducted following
orders, specific regulations, policy, etc.
– Done to minimize potential hazards
– Most disposals were coordinated with various
interested agencies (e.g., ports, Fish and
Wildlife Service)

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History of US Sea Disposal Operations
• Disposal options were limited, particularly for chemical warfare
materiel (CWM)
– Use as intended (e.g., during training)
– Demilitarize (e.g., open burn
or open detonation
– Salvage
– Burial on land
– Disposal in water
• Disposals and co-disposals included:
− Conventional and chemical munitions
− Bulk materials (explosives and chemical agent)
− Other materials (e.g., low-level radiological waste)

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• Department of Defense (DoD) conducted sea disposals from at least
the late 1800s (conventional), early 1900s (CWM) and ended in 1970
• Requirements become stricter over time
• Known disposals:
– Distance from shore 8 to over 400 km (5 to over 250 mi)
– Depths from 15 to 4,875 m (50 to 16,000 ft)
• Designated sites
− Were generally 260 km2 (100 mi2)
− Posted on nautical charts
− Others may have used for disposal of industrial and municipal wastes
• DoD used for:
− Chemical warfare materiel (CWM)
− Conventional munitions
UWMM Disposal Sites in US Waters

8. Disposal Methods

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Over the Side Disposal
Results in linear
trails such as
seen in the above
SONAR data

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Consolidated Disposal

11. Disposal Sites in US Waters

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Source: Chapter 10, Sea Disposal of Military
Munitions, FY 09 Defense Environmental
Programs Annual Report to Congress (ARC)
CWM disposal site
UWMM Disposal Sites in US Waters (Pacific)

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Source: Chapter 10, Sea Disposal of Military
Munitions, FY 09 Defense Environmental
Programs ARC
CWM disposal site
UWMM Disposal Sites in US Waters (Atlantic & Gulf)

14. Disposal of CWM in US Waters

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About 29,000 metric tons (MT) of chemical agent was disposed
in US waters
• Events ranged from a few items to 1,000s of MT
• Individual items could be grams to over 1,135 kilograms (2,500 pounds)
Source: Chapter 10, Sea Disposal of Military Munitions,
FY 09 Defense Environmental Programs ARC
Lewisite, 41%
Mustard, 52%
Nerve agent
(GB, VX, GA),
1%
Arsenic, AsCl3,
Cl2S2, 2%
Phosgene, 0%
Unspecified agent,
3%
Blood agents
(CK, AC), 1%
How Much CWM was Disposed in US Waters?

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Percent of chemical agent disposal by
kilometers from shore
Percent of chemical agent
disposal by depth in meters
Graphs based on net chemical agent weight, FY09 ARC data
Conventional munitions disposals are also reported in the ARC
Over 3,050
(10,000 ft)
61%
1,830-3,050
(6,000-10,000 ft)
7%
305-1,829
(1,000-5,999 ft)
28%
Under 305
(1,000 ft)
2%
Unknown
2%
Unknown
2%
Under 19
(10 NM)
2%
19-185
(10-100 NM)
63%
Over 185
(100 NM)
33%
CWM Disposal in US Waters

17. USS Elinor

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• Disposal in 1919
• Sailed from Baltimore to New York disposing of CWM along
the way
– Began disposal 15-miles from Chesapeake Bay
– 2,230 gross MT (2,460 tons) of munitions and containers disposed
– 75mm mustard rounds and bulk containers of phosgene
• Over the side disposal
USS Elinor (Disposal Site AC-02)

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1919 Opinion on USS Elinor Disposal
“Two hundred thousand gas shells and some large containers of
poison gas, have just been dumped into the sea. We had
manufactured these shells and had sent them to France, where
they arrived too late. Therefore they were sent back to America
in a transport which after unloading other cargo at Baltimore
steamed out to sea and consigned the poison to the depths,
where it may profit the fishes. On one point we are not clear.
Was there no water on the other side of the Atlantic deep
enough to put these shells out of danger? Are we going to use
up more valuable cargo space bringing back munitions and
materials to be dumped into the sea?”
The New Republic, 15 March 1919

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USS Elinor (Disposal Site AC-02)
• Disposal over a distance of roughly
325 km (200 miles)
• 75mm round is about 0.3 by 0.08 m

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Recovered 75mm Mustard-filled Shells

22. SS William Ralston

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SS Ralston (Disposal Site CA-10)
• Scuttled 19 April 1958
• Loaded with:
– 301,000 100 lb Mustard bombs
About 8,275 MT (9,120 tons) mustard
– 1,080 ton containers of Lewisite
About 1,300 MT (1,436 tons) Lewisite
• 4,115 m (13,500 ft) deep
• 188 km (117 mi) from shore

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Unloading

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Scuttling

28. Operation CHASE

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Operation CHASE Overview
• Consolidated disposals
• 19 Disposal events between 1964 and 1970
– 16 involving explosives
– 3 involving CWM
– One had residual CWM and explosives
• Explosive munitions
– Gross weight of 84,210 MT (92,824 tons)
– Net explosive weight about 11,700 MT (12,889 tons)
– Disposal depths from 850 to 3,800 m (2,800 to 12,500 ft)
– Over 10 miles from shore
• Detonations occurred as part of 12 disposals
• CHASE 6, failed to detonate as planned

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• Chemical warfare materiel
– Gross weight of 17,630 (19,432 tons)
– Net chemical agent weight (NCAW) about 4,310 MT (4,747 tons)
– Disposal depths from 2,050 to 5,000 m (6,800 to 16,500 ft)
• M55 Rockets placed in steel vaults (CHASE 8, 10, 11)
– Vaults were filled with concrete
– Testing showed vaults would develop pinhole leaks at time of
disposal
– About 99.9% of the disposed Sarin would be expected to be
destroyed after 159 hours in seawater
– Vaults would minimize mixing with seawater for years
Operation CHASE Overview

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CHASE 8
CHASE 11 CHASE 12
CHASE 10
Operation CHASE CWM Disposals

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CHASE Year Cargo type Depth (feet)
Cargo Gross
Weight (ton)
Net Explosive
Weight (ton) Detonated? Coast
1 1964 Explosives 6,590 9,799 Unknown No Pacific
2 1964 Explosives 7,440 7,349 Unknown Yes Atlantic
3 1965 Explosives 4,380 4,040 512 Yes Atlantic
4 1965 Explosives 4,820 8,715 408 Yes Atlantic
5 1966 Explosives 12,500 7,500 1,625 Yes Pacific
6 1967 Explosives 2,800 6,600 2,327 Failed AK
7 1966 Explosives 7,460 6,033 442 Yes Atlantic
8 1967 Chemicals 7,200 9,005 NA No Atlantic
9 1967 Explosives 7,595 833 Unknown No Atlantic
10 1970 Chemicals 16,000 2,664 NA No Atlantic
11 1968 Chemicals 6,810 7,763 NA No Atlantic
12 1968
Explosives
1-ton containers 7,800 7,437 138 No Atlantic
13 Cancelled Chemicals NA NA NA -- NA
14 Cancelled Chemicals NA NA NA -- NA
15 Cancelled Chemicals NA NA NA -- NA
16 1969 Explosives 8,310 7,626 1,145 Yes Pacific
17 1969 Explosives 8,310 6,348 1,359 Yes Pacific
18 1969 Explosives 8,310 6,431 2,144 Yes Pacific
19 1970 Explosives 8,310 5,245 478 Yes Pacific
20 1970 Explosives 8,310 5,719 1,015 Yes Pacific
21 1970 Explosives 6,390 5,105 615 Yes Atlantic
22 1970 Explosives 7,716 5,481 681 Yes Atlantic
Totals 112,256 12,889
Chemical 19,432
Explosives 92,824
Summary of Operation CHASE Disposals

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Operation CHASE CWM Disposals
Event Fill Munition or Container Type Unit Quantity
NCAW per
unit (lbs)
Total NCAW
(Ton)
Site NY-01
CHASE 8 GB - Sarin Rocket, Chemical Each 7,380 11 42
CHASE 8 H - Mustard Ton Container Each 4,577 1,885 4,314
CHASE 8 Riot control agent Drum Each 15 NA NA
CHASE 8 Industrial NA - caustic Bag 88 NA NA
CHASE 11 GB - Sarin Rocket, Chemical Each 21,900 11 125
CHASE 11 GB - Sarin Ton Container Each 19 1,600 15
CHASE 11 Other 30 and 50 gallon Drum, Arsenic Each 60 543 16
CHASE 11 Other 30 and 50 gallon, Cyanide Each 60 176 5
CHASE 11 Unknown agent Ton container Each 28 1,900 27
CHASE 11 VX Rocket, Chemical Each 21,900 11 117
CHASE 11 VX Ton Container Each 19 1,500 14
CHASE 11 Methyl bromide Cylinder Each 4 NA NA
CHASE 12 Water Ton Container, H-contaminated Each 3,500 NA NA
CHASE 12 Explosive
Ammunition, Explosives and
Propellant
Ton,
Short 2,444 NA NA
Site FL-02
CHASE 10 GB - Sarin 155 mm Projectile Each 3 7 0.0
CHASE 10 GB - Sarin Rocket, Chemical Each 12,508 11 71
CHASE 10 VX Mine, Land, Chemical Each 1 11 0.0

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Conclusion…
• It was once acceptable to dispose of waste of many
kinds in our rivers, streams, lakes and oceans
• Governments and individuals made informed
decisions based on the challenges, knowledge and
perception of risk at the time
• Most, if not all, disposals were governed by direct
orders or regulations
• Methods of disposal changed based on changing
perception of risk

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Geoff Carton
CALIBRE Systems, Inc
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Geoff.carton@calibresys.com