WAC 173-303-578   Military munitions.  (1) Applicability.

     (a) The rules in this section identify when military munitions become a solid waste, and, if these wastes are also dangerous under this section or WAC 173-303-016 through173-303-100 , the management standards that apply to these wastes.

     (b) Unless otherwise specified in this section, all applicable requirements in this chapter apply to waste military munitions.

     (2) Definition of solid waste.

     (a) A military munition is not a solid waste when:

     (i) Used for its intended purpose, including:

     (A) Use in training military personnel or explosives and munitions emergency response specialists (including training in proper destruction of unused propellant or other munitions); or

     (B) Use in research, development, testing, and evaluation of military munitions, weapons, or weapon systems; or

     (C) Recovery, collection, and on-range destruction of unexploded ordnance and munitions fragments during range clearance activities at active or inactive ranges. However, "use for intended purpose" does not include the on-range disposal or burial of unexploded ordnance and contaminants when the burial is not a result of product use.

     (ii) An unused munition, or component thereof, is being repaired, reused, recycled, reclaimed, disassembled, reconfigured, or otherwise subjected to materials recovery activities, unless such activities involve use constituting disposal as defined in WAC 173-303-016 (5)(a), or burning for energy recovery as defined in WAC 173-303-016 (5)(b).

     (b) An unused military munition is a solid waste when any of the following occurs:

     (i) The munition is abandoned by being disposed of, burned, detonated (except during intended use as specified in (a) of this subsection), incinerated, or treated prior to disposal; or

     (ii) The munition is removed from storage in a military magazine or other storage area for the purpose of being disposed of, burned, or incinerated, or treated prior to disposal; or

     (iii) The munition is deteriorated or damaged (for example, the integrity of the munition is compromised by cracks, leaks, or other damage) to the point that it cannot be put into serviceable condition, and cannot reasonably be recycled or used for other purposes; or

     (iv) The munition has been declared a solid waste by an authorized military official.

     (c) A used or fired military munition is a solid waste:

     (i) When transported off range or from the site of use, where the site of use is not a range, for the purposes of storage, reclamation, treatment, disposal, or treatment prior to disposal; or

     (ii) If recovered, collected, and then disposed of by burial, or landfilling either on or off a range.

     (d) A used or fired military munition is a solid waste, and, therefore, is potentially subject to corrective action under WAC 173-303-646 or imminent and substantial endangerment authorities under WAC 173-303-960, if the munition lands off-range and is not promptly rendered safe and/or retrieved. Any imminent and substantial threats associated with any remaining material must be addressed. If remedial action is infeasible, the operator of the range must maintain a record of the event for as long as any threat remains. The record must include the type of munition and its location (to the extent the location is known).

     (e) Military munitions at closed or transferred ranges. Munitions discharged during military activities are discarded material (and therefore solid waste) for purposes of WAC 173-303-646 under the following circumstance:

     The munition is left in place at the firing range at the time the range is closed or when the range is transferred from military control, whichever occurs first.

     (3) Standards applicable to emergency responses.

     Explosives and munitions emergencies involving military munitions or explosives are subject to WAC 173-303-170(5), 173-303-240(10), 173-303-400 (2)(c)(xiii), 173-303-600 (3)(p), and 173-303-800 (7)(c), or alternatively to WAC 173-303-804.

     (4) Standards applicable to the storage of solid waste military munitions.

     (a) Criteria for dangerous waste regulation of waste non-chemical military munitions in storage.

     (i) Waste military munitions in storage that exhibit a dangerous waste characteristic, criteria, or are listed as dangerous waste under WAC 173-303-070 are listed or identified as a dangerous waste (and thus are subject to regulation under this chapter), unless all the following conditions are met:

     (A) The waste military munitions are not chemical agents or chemical munitions.

     (B) The waste military munitions must be subject to the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB).

     (C) The waste military munitions must be stored in accordance with the DDESB storage standards applicable to waste military munitions.

     (D) Within ninety days of August 12, 1997, or within ninety days of when a storage unit is first used to store waste military munitions, whichever is later, the owner or operator must notify the department of the location of any waste storage unit used to store waste military munitions for which the conditional exemption in (a)(i) of this subsection is claimed.

     (E) The owner or operator must provide oral notice to the department within twenty-four hours from the time the owner or operator becomes aware of any loss or theft of the waste military munitions, or any failure to meet a condition of (a)(i) of this subsection that may endanger health or the environment. In addition, a written submission describing the circumstances must be provided within five days from the time the owner or operator becomes aware of any loss or theft of the waste military munitions or any failure to meet a condition of (a)(i) of this subsection.

     (F) The owner or operator must inventory the waste military munitions at least annually, must inspect the waste military munitions at least quarterly for compliance with the conditions of (a)(i) of this subsection, and must maintain records of the findings of these inventories and inspections for at least three years.

     (G) Access to the stored waste military munitions must be limited to appropriately trained and authorized personnel.

     (ii) The conditional exemption in (a)(i) of this subsection from regulation as dangerous waste applies only to the storage of nonchemical waste military munitions. It does not affect the regulatory status of waste military munitions as dangerous wastes with regard to transportation, treatment or disposal.

     (iii) The conditional exemption in (a)(i) of this subsection applies only so long as all of the conditions in (a)(i) of this subsection are met.

     (b) Notice of termination of waste storage. The owner or operator must notify the department when a storage unit identified in (a)(i)(D) of this subsection will no longer be used to store waste military munitions.

     (c) Reinstatement of conditional exemption. If any waste military munition loses its conditional exemption under (a)(i) of this subsection, an application may be filed with the department for reinstatement of the conditional exemption from dangerous waste storage regulation with respect to such munition as soon as the munition is returned to compliance with the conditions of (a)(i) of this subsection. If the department finds that reinstatement of the conditional exemption is appropriate based on factors such as the owner's or operator's provision of a satisfactory explanation of the circumstances of the violation, or a demonstration that the violations are not likely to recur, the department may reinstate the conditional exemption under (a)(i) of this subsection. If the director does not take action on the reinstatement application within sixty days after receipt of the application, then reinstatement will be deemed granted, retroactive to the date of the application. However, the department may terminate a conditional exemption reinstated by default in the preceding sentence if it finds that reinstatement is inappropriate based on factors such as the owner's or operator's failure to provide a satisfactory explanation of the circumstances of the violation, or failure to demonstrate that the violations are not likely to recur. In reinstating the conditional exemption under (a)(i) of this subsection, the department may specify additional conditions as are necessary to ensure and document proper storage to protect human health and the environment.

     (d) Waste chemical munitions.

     (i) Waste military munitions that are chemical agents or chemical munitions and that exhibit a hazardous waste characteristic or are listed as hazardous waste under WAC 173-303-070, are listed or identified as a hazardous waste and are subject to the applicable regulatory requirements of RCRA subtitle C and the Hazardous Waste Management Act.

     (ii) Waste military munitions that are chemical agents or chemical munitions and that exhibit a hazardous waste characteristic or are listed as hazardous waste under WAC 173-303-070, are not subject to the storage prohibition in RCRA section 3004(j), codified at 40 CFR 268.50 (which is incorporated by reference at WAC 173-303-140 (2)(a)).

     (e) Amendments to DDESB storage standards. The DDESB storage standards applicable to waste military munitions, referenced in subsection (4)(a)(i) of this section, are DOD 6055.9-STD ("DOD Ammunition and Explosive Safety Standards"), in effect on November 8, 1995, except as provided in the following sentence. Any amendments to the DDESB storage standards will become effective for purposes of subsection (4)(a)(i) of this section on the date the Department of Defense publishes notice in the Federal Register that the DDESB standards referenced in subsection (4)(a)(i) of this section have been amended.

     (5) Standards applicable to the treatment and disposal of waste military munitions.

     The treatment and disposal of dangerous waste military munitions are subject to the applicable permitting, procedural, and technical standards of this chapter.



[Statutory Authority: Chapters 70.105 and 70.105D RCW. 03-07-049 (Order 02-03), § 173-303-578, filed 3/13/03, effective 4/13/03. Statutory Authority: Chapters 70.105, 70.105D, 15.54 RCW and RCW 70.105.007. 00-11-040 (Order 99-01), § 173-303-578, filed 5/10/00, effective 6/10/00.]