SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii, April 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army is destroying 10 World War I and World War II-era chemical munitions recovered from a firing range in Hawaii between 2009 and 2012.
The munitions found during clearance activities on the range will be destroyed later this month using its Explosive Destruction System, which was specifically designed for elimination of chemical weapons, and which was transported to Hawaii for the task, the Army said.
"The Army no longer uses these types of munitions," said Col. Richard Fromm, commander, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii. "However, as a matter of safety and environmental stewardship, we have a responsibility to ensure that when we find these types of historic munitions, we also safely destroy them."
The EDS uses a proven technology for on-site treatment and destruction of chemical munitions in a contained, environmentally sound way. Its enclosure for the munitions is monitored by multiple video and air monitors and connected to an air filtration system. Since first use in 2001, it has destroyed more than 1,855 items nationwide.
A similar system was used in Hawaii in 2008 to destroy 71 munitions containing the same type of chemical fills.
