Managing Global Resources for a Secure Future

Identify field locations representing 3-5 terrain types in the Alaskan domain. We will select sites representing high arctic tundra, boreal forest, wetlands, and uplands with known levels of energetics (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), dinitrotoluenes (DNTs)), metals (lead (Pb) and antimony (Sb)), or PCBs where active military training or remediation programs are planned or underway. The specific sites selected will support the needs of each Work Unit in this project. Energetic compounds are loaded to training range vegetation and soils during live fire events. Access to firing points and impact areas (where support for unexploded ordnance detection is available) will be gained through cooperation with U.S. Army Alaska. Pb and Sb are common components in small arms projectiles and thus they are commonly found in soils and occasionally in groundwater near target berms. We will collaborate with ongoing projects funded by the DoD’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and U.S. Army Alaska to access soils from firing range target berms on Fort Wainwright and Donnelly Training Area. Access to the many FUDS sites in Alaska that contain PCBs as a contaminant of concern will be gained through partnership with the Alaska District, USACE.