Weldon Spring Ordnance Works
Encyclopedia
Weldon Spring Ordnance Works (WSOW) was a 17323 acres (70.1 km²) U.S. Government
-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) facility in St. Charles County, Missouri
, 55 km west of St. Louis
. The site was originally operated by the Atlas Powder Company during World War II
from 1941 to 1945 to produce explosives. The Atomic Energy Commission
acquired part of the property in 1955, and Mallinckrodt, Inc. processed uranium ore from 1957 to 1966 under contract. The site has been divided into several parcels, and ownership has transferred over the years. Two portions of the original WSOW property are now Superfund
sites that require substantial cleanup efforts. The environmental remediation of the WSOW site is currently designated as a major project of the Defense Environmental Restoration Program of the United States Department of Defense
. Part of the original property is still used by the Army Reserve
as the Weldon Spring Training Area.
, Howell, and Toonerville and around 700 citizens of the area were displaced beginning in 1940 and ending the following year. From 1941 to 1945, the Atlas Powder Company manufactured trinitrotoluene (TNT) and dinitrotoluene
(DNT) at the site. Four TNT and two DNT production lines were situated on what was to be the Chemical Plant. These operations resulted in nitroaromatic contamination of soil, sediments, and some off-site springs. After World War II, over 15000 acres (60.7 km²) were transferred to the State of Missouri, including the 6987 acres (28.3 km²) August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area
. Additional land was transferred to the University of Missouri
, St. Charles County, and the Francis Howell School District. Much of the land that was transferred to the University of Missouri has become the 8398 acres (34 km²) Weldon Spring Conservation Area
.
and the Atlas Powder Company, 205 acres (83 ha) of the former ordnance works were transferred to the United States Atomic Energy Commission
(AEC) in 1955 for construction of the Weldon Spring Uranium Feed Materials Plant, now referred to as the Weldon Spring Chemical Plant. Mallinckrodt, Inc. operated the plant from 1957 to 1966 under a contract with the AEC. An additional 14.88 acres (6 ha) were transferred to the AEC in 1964. The plant converted processed uranium ore concentrates to uranium tetrafluoride
, uranium trioxide
, intermediate compounds, and uranium metal. A small amount of thorium
was also processed. Wastes generated during these operations were stored in four raffinate
pits located on the plant property. Uranium processing operations resulted in radiological contamination of the area.
Uranium processing operations ceased in 1966, and on December 31, 1967, the AEC returned the facility to the Army for use as a defoliant
production plant. The defoliant project was canceled before any process equipment was installed, and the Army transferred 50.65 acres (20.5 ha) of land encompassing the raffinate pits back to the AEC while retaining the Chemical Plant. The AEC, and subsequently the United States Department of Energy
(DOE), managed the site, including the Army-owned Chemical Plant, under caretaker status from 1968 through 1985. In 1984, the Army repaired several of the buildings at the Chemical Plant, decontaminated some of the floors, walls, and ceilings, and isolated some equipment. In 1985, the Army transferred full custody of the Chemical Plant to the United States Department of Energy
(DOE), at which time the DOE designated control and decontamination of the Chemical Plant, raffinate pits, and Quarry as a major project. The DOE legacy management web site has additional documentation on the status of the site.
aggregate used in construction of the ordnance works. The Army also used the quarry for burning wastes from explosives manufacturing and disposal of TNT-contaminated rubble during operation of the ordnance works. These activities resulted in contamination of the soil and groundwater at the quarry.
In 1958, the Army transferred the Weldon Spring Quarry to the Atomic Energy Commission, who used it from 1959 to 1966 as a disposal area for uranium, thorium, and radium residues from the Chemical Plant (both drummed and uncontained) and for disposal of contaminated building rubble, process equipment, and soils from demolition of a uranium processing facility in St. Louis. Radiological contamination occurred in the same locations as the nitroaromatic contamination.
proposed listing the portions of the Weldon Spring area contaminated with radioactive waste on the National Priorities List
. The site was finally listed on July 22, 1987. The Weldon Spring Quarry/Plant/Pits (USDOE/Army) site covers 230 acre (0.9307778 km²) and is located between the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The site includes the 51 acre (0.20638986 km²) disposal area, the 169 acre (0.68391934 km²) abandoned Uranium Feed Materials Plant, various smaller properties, and the 9 acre (0.03642174 km²) former limestone quarry located 4 miles from the plant. Primary contaminants of concern at the Chemical Plant and surrounding soil include uranium, thorium, radium, and their radioactive decay products. The quarry contains materials contaminated with TNT and DNT residues, as well as uranium, thorium, and radium residues and contaminated materials and equipment. The quarry is located 0.75 miles (1.2 km) from the St. Charles County well field, which is used as a drinking water source for approximately 70,000 people.
proposed adding the Weldon Spring Ordnance Works to the National Priorities List
. The site was officially listed on February 21, 1990. Contaminated areas are spread throughout the site, with the greatest concentration in the Training Area. Areas of concern include seven unlined lagoons where TNT wastewater was stored, TNT production lines, two DNT production lines, drainage ditches below TNT production lines, and eight areas where explosive wastes were burned. The primary contaminants of concern at the site are TNT, DNT, and lead
. These contaminants have been identified in soil at several areas on the site, and TNT was detected in 1987 in surface water downstream of the lagoons.
Portions of the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area
are within the Weldon Spring Former Army Ordnance Works site.
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) facility in St. Charles County, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, 55 km west of St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. The site was originally operated by the Atlas Powder Company 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...
from 1941 to 1945 to produce explosives. The Atomic Energy Commission
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
acquired part of the property in 1955, and Mallinckrodt, Inc. processed uranium ore from 1957 to 1966 under contract. The site has been divided into several parcels, and ownership has transferred over the years. Two portions of the original WSOW property are now 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...
sites that require substantial cleanup efforts. The environmental remediation of the WSOW site is currently designated as a major project of the Defense Environmental Restoration Program of the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
. Part of the original property is still used by the Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
as the Weldon Spring Training Area.
Weldon Spring Ordnance Works
The site was purchased in 1941, totaling 17232 acres (6,973.5 ha) of largely rural land. The towns of HamburgHamburg, Missouri
Hamburg was a small town in St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. The town was evacuated in 1940-1941 as the area was taken over by the U.S...
, Howell, and Toonerville and around 700 citizens of the area were displaced beginning in 1940 and ending the following year. From 1941 to 1945, the Atlas Powder Company manufactured trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 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) at the site. Four TNT and two DNT production lines were situated on what was to be the Chemical Plant. These operations resulted in nitroaromatic contamination of soil, sediments, and some off-site springs. After World War II, over 15000 acres (60.7 km²) were transferred to the State of Missouri, including the 6987 acres (28.3 km²) August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area
August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area
August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area, is a conservation area that is owned and managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Located in St. Charles County, Missouri the land was purchased by the Department of Conservation with help from Alice Busch, the wife of August Anheuser Busch,...
. Additional land was transferred to the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, St. Charles County, and the Francis Howell School District. Much of the land that was transferred to the University of Missouri has become the 8398 acres (34 km²) Weldon Spring Conservation Area
Weldon Spring Conservation Area
The Weldon Spring Conservation Area, is a conservation area that is owned and managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Located in St. Charles County, Missouri The area borders the Missouri river. The M.K.T...
.
Weldon Spring Chemical Plant
Following a considerable amount of environmental remediation of the facility by the U.S. ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and the Atlas Powder Company, 205 acres (83 ha) of the former ordnance works were transferred to the United States Atomic Energy Commission
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
(AEC) in 1955 for construction of the Weldon Spring Uranium Feed Materials Plant, now referred to as the Weldon Spring Chemical Plant. Mallinckrodt, Inc. operated the plant from 1957 to 1966 under a contract with the AEC. An additional 14.88 acres (6 ha) were transferred to the AEC in 1964. The plant converted processed uranium ore concentrates to uranium tetrafluoride
Uranium tetrafluoride
Uranium tetrafluoride is a green crystalline solid compound of uranium with an insignificant vapor pressure and very slight solubility in water. Uranium in its tetravalent state is very important in different technological processes...
, uranium trioxide
Uranium trioxide
Uranium trioxide , also called uranyl oxide, uranium oxide, and uranic oxide, is the hexavalent oxide of uranium. The solid may be obtained by heating uranyl nitrate to 400 °C. Its most commonly encountered polymorph, γ-UO3, is a yellow-orange powder.-Production and use:There are three methods...
, intermediate compounds, and uranium metal. A small amount of thorium
Thorium
Thorium is a natural radioactive chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. It was discovered in 1828 and named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder....
was also processed. Wastes generated during these operations were stored in four raffinate
Raffinate
Raffinating something is a technique used in metallurgy to remove impurities from liquid material. There are many different kinds of raffination, for example you can use vacuum to extract hydrogen from metals....
pits located on the plant property. Uranium processing operations resulted in radiological contamination of the area.
Uranium processing operations ceased in 1966, and on December 31, 1967, the AEC returned the facility to the Army for use as a defoliant
Defoliant
A defoliant is any chemical sprayed or dusted on plants to cause its leaves to fall off. A classic example of a highly toxic defoliant is Agent Orange, which the United States armed forces used abundantly to defoliate regions of Vietnam during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1970.Defoliants differ...
production plant. The defoliant project was canceled before any process equipment was installed, and the Army transferred 50.65 acres (20.5 ha) of land encompassing the raffinate pits back to the AEC while retaining the Chemical Plant. The AEC, and subsequently the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
(DOE), managed the site, including the Army-owned Chemical Plant, under caretaker status from 1968 through 1985. In 1984, the Army repaired several of the buildings at the Chemical Plant, decontaminated some of the floors, walls, and ceilings, and isolated some equipment. In 1985, the Army transferred full custody of the Chemical Plant to the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
(DOE), at which time the DOE designated control and decontamination of the Chemical Plant, raffinate pits, and Quarry as a major project. The DOE legacy management web site has additional documentation on the status of the site.
Weldon Spring Quarry
The Weldon Spring Quarry was mined for limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
aggregate used in construction of the ordnance works. The Army also used the quarry for burning wastes from explosives manufacturing and disposal of TNT-contaminated rubble during operation of the ordnance works. These activities resulted in contamination of the soil and groundwater at the quarry.
In 1958, the Army transferred the Weldon Spring Quarry to the Atomic Energy Commission, who used it from 1959 to 1966 as a disposal area for uranium, thorium, and radium residues from the Chemical Plant (both drummed and uncontained) and for disposal of contaminated building rubble, process equipment, and soils from demolition of a uranium processing facility in St. Louis. Radiological contamination occurred in the same locations as the nitroaromatic contamination.
Weldon Spring Training Area
By 1959, with the majority of the site already transferred out of government hands, 1655 acres (6.7 km²) was redeveloped as for the U.S. Army Reserve as the Weldon Spring Training Area.Weldon Spring Quarry/Plant/Pits (USDOE/Army) site
On October 15, 1984, the United States Environmental Protection AgencyUnited States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
proposed listing the portions of the Weldon Spring area contaminated with radioactive waste on the National Priorities List
National Priorities List
The National Priorities List is the list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for long-term remedial action financed under the federal Superfund program. Environmental Protection Agency regulations outline a formal process for assessing hazardous waste sites and placing them on...
. The site was finally listed on July 22, 1987. The Weldon Spring Quarry/Plant/Pits (USDOE/Army) site covers 230 acre (0.9307778 km²) and is located between the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The site includes the 51 acre (0.20638986 km²) disposal area, the 169 acre (0.68391934 km²) abandoned Uranium Feed Materials Plant, various smaller properties, and the 9 acre (0.03642174 km²) former limestone quarry located 4 miles from the plant. Primary contaminants of concern at the Chemical Plant and surrounding soil include uranium, thorium, radium, and their radioactive decay products. The quarry contains materials contaminated with TNT and DNT residues, as well as uranium, thorium, and radium residues and contaminated materials and equipment. The quarry is located 0.75 miles (1.2 km) from the St. Charles County well field, which is used as a drinking water source for approximately 70,000 people.
Weldon Spring Former Army Ordnance Works site
On July 14, 1989, the United States Environmental Protection AgencyUnited States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
proposed adding the Weldon Spring Ordnance Works to the National Priorities List
National Priorities List
The National Priorities List is the list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for long-term remedial action financed under the federal Superfund program. Environmental Protection Agency regulations outline a formal process for assessing hazardous waste sites and placing them on...
. The site was officially listed on February 21, 1990. Contaminated areas are spread throughout the site, with the greatest concentration in the Training Area. Areas of concern include seven unlined lagoons where TNT wastewater was stored, TNT production lines, two DNT production lines, drainage ditches below TNT production lines, and eight areas where explosive wastes were burned. The primary contaminants of concern at the site are TNT, DNT, and lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
. These contaminants have been identified in soil at several areas on the site, and TNT was detected in 1987 in surface water downstream of the lagoons.
Portions of the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area
August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area
August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area, is a conservation area that is owned and managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Located in St. Charles County, Missouri the land was purchased by the Department of Conservation with help from Alice Busch, the wife of August Anheuser Busch,...
are within the Weldon Spring Former Army Ordnance Works site.