Alabama Army Ammunition Plant
Encyclopedia
The Alabama Army Ammunition Plant (ALAAP), was a United States
munitions plant built and operated during World War II
. The facility
is located a four miles (6 km) north of Childersburg, Alabama
in Talladega County, Alabama
.
(NC), trinitrotoluene (TNT), dinitrotoluene
(DNT), tetryl
, and single-base smokeless powder
. The facility, operated by DuPont
, had a peak production rate of nearly 40 million pounds (18 million kg) of munitions per month. It also produced heavy water
for the Manhattan Project
.. The facility ceased operation in August 1945 and was placed on standby
status after the end of the war. During the war, the plant covered more than 13,000 acres (53 km²).
After the end of the war, various portions of the plant were leased out for commercial operations. Most of the original structures have been destroyed, although the government retains responsibility for more than 2,000 acres (8 km²) of the facility.
It is now considered an Superfund
site.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
munitions plant built and operated during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The facility
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
is located a four miles (6 km) north of Childersburg, Alabama
Childersburg, Alabama
Childersburg is a city in Talladega county in the U.S. state of Alabama. At the 2000 census the population was 4,927. It claims a history dating back before 1540, when it was noted as a village of the Coosa Nation visited by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto...
in Talladega County, Alabama
Talladega County, Alabama
Talladega County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Talladega is a Muscogee Native American word derived from TVLVTEKE, which means "border town." As of 2010, the population was 82,291...
.
History
The ALAAP was built in 1941 as a production facility for nitrocelluloseNitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. When used as a propellant or low-order explosive, it is also known as guncotton...
(NC), trinitrotoluene (TNT), dinitrotoluene
Dinitrotoluene
2,4-Dinitrotoluene or Dinitro is an organic compound with the formula C6H32. This pale yellow crystalline solid is well known as a precursor to trinitrotoluene but is mainly used in the polymer industry....
(DNT), tetryl
Tetryl
2,4,6-Trinitrophenylmethylnitramine commonly referred to as tetryl is a sensitive explosive compound used to make detonators and explosive booster charges....
, and single-base smokeless powder
Smokeless powder
Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced...
. The facility, operated by DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
, had a peak production rate of nearly 40 million pounds (18 million kg) of munitions per month. It also produced heavy water
Heavy water
Heavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
for the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
.. The facility ceased operation in August 1945 and was placed on standby
Standby
Standby may refer to:*Standby , a list in which passengers may request to be placed on to request an earlier or more convenient flight....
status after the end of the war. During the war, the plant covered more than 13,000 acres (53 km²).
After the end of the war, various portions of the plant were leased out for commercial operations. Most of the original structures have been destroyed, although the government retains responsibility for more than 2,000 acres (8 km²) of the facility.
It is now considered an Superfund
Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
site.