United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Office of Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance
Washington, DC 20480
E PA-300- F-98-002k
February 1998
EPA Federal Facilities Toxic Release and Reduction
Initiatives Fact Sheet
Background
Executive Order 12856, entitled "Federal Compliance with
Right-To-Know Laws and Pollution Prevention
Requirements", was signed by President Clinton on
August 3, 1993 File primary objectives of EO 12856 are
to encourage Federal facilities to;
• Develop pollution prevention plans to reduce toxic
releases by 50%;
• Collect and report data on the quantity of hazardous
materials stored, used, and released at the facility;
• Ensure public access to use and release information.
Federal facilities are required to submit annual TRl reports
starting in 1995 for data collected in 1994.
Approach
A study was undertaken to analyze Federal facility TRl data for 1994 and 1995 to: 1) determine the most commonly
used and released chemicals. 2) identify currently used pollution prevention (P2) approaches and on-going pollution
prevention research and development to lower or substitute the use of a chemical; and 3) identify potential
RD/transition needs As of January 1998, fifteen chemical Fact Sheets have been developed. Please refer to the
back page to order Fact Sheets for other chemicals
This Fact Sheet contains two charts and four main sections.
• The charts represent the waste management distribution and percent change of TRl reported quantities.
• Chemical Profile section.
• Identified and used P2 approaches section
• On-going P2 research and development section.
• P2 research and development/transition needs section.
NITRATE COMPOUNDS
1995 Waste Management Distribution
0%
Recycling
0%
Energy Recovery
m 1 reatmem
1 *
¦ Releases
TRl Reported Quantities - Percent Change 1994 and 1995
TRt
Reporting
Recycling Energy Recovery
Qn-Site Off-Site On-Site Off-Site
Treatment
Releases plus
Off-site Treatment
On-Site Off-Site
1994
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CHEMICAL PROFILE: NITRATE COMPOUNDS CAS #:
SYNONYMS BARIUM NITRATE SODIUM NITRATE AMMONIUM NITRATE
COMMON USES IN THE U.S.
Shttp.ffmail odsnet.com/TRI Facts#
ACUTE HEALTH HAZARDS
#ftttp.//mail odsnet eomfTRlFacts#
CHRONIC HEALTH HAZARDS
#hltp://mail.odsnet.com/TRIFacts#
COMMON P2 INITIATIVES
#http://mail. odsnet. com/TRIFaets#
Three facilities reported releases of nitrate compounds in 1995, Hotston Army Ammunition
Plant in Kmgsport, TN accounted for over 80 percent of the total releases. Nitrate compounds
were probably released as a result of producing explosives (i e , HMX and RDX and their
components). The USOA research facility in Beltsville, MD accounted for 18 percent. In this
rase, nitrate compounds were probably the result of fertilizer application.
Many nitrated products are explosives including DNT. TNT. and nitro-glycenne Ammonium
nitrate is also used as a fertilizer.
Nitrate compounds are explosive, flammable, and toxic. Ammonium nitrate is an irritant,
exposure and direct contact can irritate the eyes. skin, nose, and throat Overexposure can
cause nausea and vomiting, flushing of the head and necs, headaches, weakness, faintness
and collapse. Severe overexposure results in methemoglobinemia and possible death
Ammonium nitrate has not been tested for its ability to cause cancer to animals, nor has it been
tested for its ability to adversely affect reproduction
Careful storage and handling practices Careful management practices can reduce accidental
releases of fertilizers to the environment
Fertilizer
Material substitution. Alternatives to anhydrous ammonia and ammonium nitrate fertilizers are
commercially available.
Explosives production
Improved containment and management practices. Due to its explosive nature, production
personnel must follow very strict protocols to prevent accidents from occurring
Additional information regarding chemical hazards and access to Material Safety Data Sheets can be reached through
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry web page: http://atsdr1.atsdr.cdc.gov.8080/- refer to ToxFAQs.
FEDERAL FACILITIES REPORTING
COMMON USES OF: NITRATE COMPOUNDS
J
Federal Facilities Reporting in both 1994 and 1995 2
Federal Facilities Reporting Only in 1994 0
Federal Facilities Reporting Only in 1995 1
AGRICULTURE
EXPLOSIVES
POLLUTION PREVENTION APPROACHES CURRENTLY IN USE
AGRICULTURE
• All 50 States and several territories have established some form of Farm'A'Syst program through their agricultural extension services offices to
educate farmers {and other audiences) on how their activities may affect drinking water quality. Farm'A'Syst is supported through a handshake
agreement between the USEPA, USOA's Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, and Natural Resource Conservation
Service The program has produced a variety of publications, slide shows, software programs, self-assessment guides, and other tools
describing best management practices for crop production Best management practices for fertilizers include" Inventory control - buy and store
as little fertilizer as possible; Storage facility - fertilizer should be stored in a building with a concrete floor that is more than 100 feet away from
a well or surface water, Spill prevention - liquid fertilizer should be stored in a building with a curbed containment pad, Security -- the storage
building should be fenced, locked, and separated from ali other activities; Mixing/loading -- fertilizer preparation occurs more than 100 ft from a
well of surface water, spills should be cleaned up immediately" Mixing/handling equipment -- install check valves on mixing/handling systems if
the equipment is connected to a water supply to prevent fertilizer from back flowing; Loading — the equipment operator should monitor the
process of filling liquid fertilizer application equipment to prevent leaks, spills, or overflows; Buffer zone — maintain a buffer zone of at least 100
ft between fertilizer application areas and a well or surface water; and Packaging wastes — reduce the number of empty containers by using
products in mini-bulk or returnable containers or by using custom application (source Mississippi State University Extension Service. "Handling
and Storing Fertilizers", no date)
Page 2 of 4
NITRATE COMPOUNDS
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POLLUTION PREVENTION APPROACHES CURRENTLY IN USE
AGRICULTURE I
• EPA and the USDA have launched several technical assistance programs arid voluntary partnership initiatives to promote the adoption of •
environmentally sound agricultural management practices. Agriculture in Concert with the Environment (ACE) is a joint EPA and USDA grant j
program to promote the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and reduce the use of highly toxic herbicides and other pesticides. ;
AgSTAR is a voluntary EPA, USDA, and DOE sponsored program that promotes cost-effective methods for reducing methane emissions
through manure management. The main focus is on the swine and dairy industries. The field of sustainable agriculture focuses primarily on {
developing and disseminating new techniques and management practices to minimize the environmental impacts associated with agriculture
and livestock production. Information on alternative crop production methods, fertilizers! pesticides, and other subjects is available in the :
extensive body of technical literature devoted to sustainable agriculture. >.
EXPLOSIVES
• Army ammunition plants have taken a number of steps to minimize the environmental impacts associated with explosives production. Holston :
has already taken steps to reduce nitrate compounds by: improving materials management, selling non-conforming explosives and catch
basin/settling tank material, and screening impurities from catch basin material to capture more material as conforming product, (Source: f
Holston Army Ammunition Plant Pollution Prevention Plan 1997} . |
ON-GOING POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
AGRICULTURE
Information on current R&D projects related to developing alternatives for comme c ai fertilizers such as ammon a based p oduds is available in the
sustainable agriculture literature,
EXPLOSIVES
Replace Toxic Igniter Composition (Barium Nitrate)
POC ARDEC
Design/Use Catalysts to Avoid Red Water TNT Production
POC: ARDEC
Non-Polluting Primary Explosives in M55 Detonation
POC ARDEC
Pink Water Treatment Technology
POC. AEC/NDCEE
Develop Complete and Clean HCI-free Combustion Propellant
POC: MICOM/NAWC
Develop Lead-free Extrudable and Castable Propellant for Minimum Smoke Systems
POC: MICOM/NSWC/NAWC
Replace ONT in Propeiiam Compositions
POC: ARDEC
Reuse of Waste Ammonium Nit ate
POC: CERL
Recycling of Nitrocellulose Fines
POC: ARDEC/CERL.
POLLUTION PREVENTION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT I TRANSITION NEEDS
AGRICULTURE
• It appears as though USDA's pollution prevention need can be resolved either through current techniques and commercially available products
or on-going R&D, No additional R&D seems necessary to resolve the need.
EXPLOSIVES I
I
• The Army needs additional funding for R&D projects related to pollution prevention for explosives production. Additional barriers to reducing j
nitrate compounds from explosives production are: the time required for certifying new ammunition, contractual issues associated with working j
with GOCO facilities, and the high cost of upgrading the existing facilities to handle new technologies. j
Page 3 of 4
NITRATE COMPOUNDS
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Federal Facilities Which Reported for Both 1994 and 1995
Facility
1994 ReSease+
Off-site Treatment
1995 Release* Percent
Off-site Treatment Change
U.S.O A. BELTSVILLE, BELTSVILLE, MO
US ENRICHMENT CORP . PIKETON. OH
U S DOE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE, AIKEN, SC
U.S. ARMY. KINGSPORT. TN
0
0
440
0
55,800 100%
0 0%
7.300 1559%
253,000 100%
If you have additional information regarding an identified or used P2 approach, on-going P2 research and development,
or any P2 research and developmentAransition needs, please notify Will Garvey, US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW, Ariel Rios Building, 3rd Floor. Washington, DC 20004-2403, or fax {202} 501-0069.
Page 4 of 4
NITRATE COMPOUNDS
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