Beginning 2009 thru 2014, encompassing three distinct field investigations, the Chemical Biological Applications Risk Reduction (CBARR) division of the US Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) has provided unique expertise to the HUMMA project investigations. The HUMMA project investigated sea disposed munitions identified as containing CWA in deep waters south of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The purpose was to evaluate impacts to the environment. Human Operated Vehicles (HOVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) were utilized to investigate munitions up close, collect sediment, sea water, munition debris, and animals on the ocean floor.<br/>CBARR was responsible for providing for overall CWA expertise and health and safety onboard the research vessels. This included developing and executing operational procedures for screening the HOVs and ROVs for CWA, providing personal protective equipment, decontamination, safe handling of all potentially contaminated samples collected, and onboard definitive low-level quantitative analysis of sediments, waters, and tissues for CWA and breakdown products. The support provided by CBARR was incredibly unique because it applied techniques and procedures typically executed on land to operations on a moving research vessel at sea. It required experts of varying disciplines to work together safely in a non-typical environment for all involved.<br/>This presentation will highlight the specific support services provided by CBARR to the HUMMA project.

Specialized field operational support involving chemical warfare agents (CWA) to the Hawaii undersea military munition assessment (HUMMA) projects

251st National Meeting (2016)

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