The Client:
Hawaii Army National Guard (HIARNG)
The Challenge:
The Hawaii Army National Guard (HIARNG) used the Kanaio Local Training Area (KTA) parcel on Maui, Hawaii, to conduct training and firing range exercises for approximately 30 years, ending in 2003. Various studies and cleanups had been conducted at portions of the site since then, but a comprehensive investigation involving community and regulatory agencies to assess both Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) and Munitions Constituents (MC) was never done. The HIARNG needed to collect sufficient data to determine whether the Kanaio parcel warranted further investigation or cleanup and to prioritize the site for future funding.
The Approach:
The Nakupuna Companies divided the KTA parcel into transects with 5-foot wide sweeps, which were then inspected using handheld all-metals detectors to identify the locations of MEC. Within the MEC-contaminated areas, known impact areas, or potential impact/target areas, our team determined MC concentrations in surface soil (0-6 inches deep) by collecting Incremental Samples (IS). We then compared our samples to an IS that was collected in a non-impacted area to determine the background concentrations of the site for MCs. Our engineers compared the concentrations of MCs with regulatory action levels and background levels to determine the risk to human health and the environment at the parcel. The site priority ranking was then calculated using the Munition Response Site Prioritization Protocol (MRSPP).
The Results:
During the 82-mile survey, Nakupuna Companies field teams were able to locate two items of concern and various other expired munitions, but ultimately determined that the site did not pose a risk to human health or the environment. This helped HIARNG determine that the KTA parcel required no further action for investigation. The director of Site Discovery Assessment & Remediation from the Hawaii Department of Health, Steven Mow, commended the Nakupuna Companies on the “outstanding work performed…addressing complex issues related to hazardous waste sites and World War II munitions found throughout Hawaii.”