Title : Waste Food Storage at Fortress Rocks Type : Antarctic EAM NSF Org: OD / OPP Date : December 30, 1991 File : opp93047 DIVISION OF POLAR PROGRAMS OFFICE OF THE ENVIRONMENT 202/357-7766 MEMORANDUM Date: December 30, 1991 From: Environmental Officer, DPP Subject: Environmental Action Memorandum (Proposed Temporary, Capped, Non-Hazardous, Waste Food Storage Area at the Fortress Rocks Area, McMurdo Station, Antarctica) To: (Files S.7 - Environment) This Environmental Action Memorandum describes the need for, and location of, a temporary, capped, non-hazardous waste food storage area during the 1991-1992 austral summer season at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. The Environmental Officer posed a set of questions relating to the proposed project, and to the potentially affected environment. These questions were responded to by the National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station Manager on November 5, 1991; the questions and responses are shown below: Environmental Assessment Queries and Responses GENERAL During the 1991-1992 austral summer season, the U.S. Antarctic Program's (USAP) McMurdo Station found itself with a large amount of frozen, residual waste food from galley operations (i.e., meal preparation and service). Prior to the 1991-992 season such waste was disposed of by open burning at the Fortress Rocks Area. USAP decided early in 1991 to halt the practice of open burning at McMurdo Station. To date, some of this waste food has been retrograded to New Zealand, and some of it has been burnt in the incinerator at New Zealand's Scott Base. The USAP does not intend to use these two disposal options in the long-term; but, their availability during the 1991-1992 season has facilitated appropriate disposal of waste food generated at McMurdo Station. Some of the difficulties of disposing of waste food through regular USAP channels have been exacerbated by USAP's undertaking a major waste remediation effort (in addition to normal science and construction activities) at McMurdo Station during the 1991- 1992 season. The temporary waste food staging area will allow time for procurement and shipment of suitable containment to allow retrograde from McMurdo Station. LAND USE AND PLANNING: 1. What is the specific purpose of the proposed activity? To establish a temporary, capped containment area for waste food generated at McMurdo Station during the 1991 winter period and during the 1991-1992 austral summer season. The waste food will be consolidated with binder materials (i.e., clean wood and cardboard, and food-contaminated cardboard), capped with local earth fill materials, and temporarily staged at the Fortress Rocks Area prior to retrograde. The proposed area will allow consolidation of about 687 cubic yards of waste food. The area will be capped with about 92 cubic yards of fill materials to a depth of about one foot. What alternatives has the contractor considered? There is no other practicable, or environmentally- compatible manner in which to handle, process, and temporarily store this material. There are an insufficient number of empty shipping containers (milvans and flatracks, and leak-proof containers) on-station in which to contain the such waste not already shipped to New Zealand or already processed in Scott Base's incinerator. 2. What is the specific location of the proposed activity? The proposed, temporary storage area is within the Fortress Rocks Area at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. See map and dimensional diagram attached. What alternative locations has the contractor considered? Other spaces and facilities at McMurdo Station were considered in addition to temporary burial within snow pits near the station. None of these alternatives was considered appropriate. The Fortress Rocks Area, currently undergoing surface waste remediation, was the most appropriate site considered. 3. How will aesthetic impacts to the area be handled? The temporary storage area will be capped with local fill and resemble the aspect of the remediated Fortress Rocks Area. 4. Will the activity have any other indirect impacts on the environment? No. It will have the environmental benefits of preventing both wind blown debris and scavenging by antarctic birds. 5. Will the activity change the traditional use of the chosen site? No. 6. Are the physical or environmental characteristics of the land suitable for the activity? Yes. IMPACT OR POLLUTION POTENTIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 7. Has protection of the environment and human health from unnecessary pollution been considered for the activity (includes such considerations as pollution abatement or mitigation, and waste management [e.G., of noise, dust, fuel loss, disposition of one-time-use materials, construction wastes])? Yes. Capped consolidation of these materials will minimize the potential for impacts until the waste can be retrograded from McMurdo Station. 8. Will the activity change ambient air quality at the site? No. 9. Will the activity change water quality or flow (drainage), at the site? No. 10. Will the activity change waste generation or management at the site? Yes. This will be a temporary waste management area. 11. Will the activity change energy production or demand, personnel and life support, or transportation requirements at the site? No. 12. Is the activity expected to adversely affect scientific studies or locations of research interest (near and distant, short-term and long-term)? No. 13. Will the activity generate pollutants that might affect terrestrial, marine or freshwater ecosystems within the environs of the station or inland camp? No. 14. Does the site of the activity serve as habitat for any significant assemblages of antarctic wildlife (for example, mosses or lichens, or antarctic birds or marine animals)? No. HUMAN VALUES 15. Will the activity encroach upon any historical property of the site? No. 16. What other environmental concerns are potentially affected by the activity at the site? For example, have impacts associated with decommissioning of the activity been considered (and how)? None. As noted above, when residual waste food, if any, is retrograded the area will be decommissioned and left free of debris. Finding The Environmental Officer, after reviewing the information presented above, believes that the proposed activity poses neither potentially minor nor transitory impacts to the antarctic environment. The contractor is authorized to proceed with the proposed activity. Sidney Draggan Attachments Map Dimensional Diagram Area for Temporary Consolidation of Waste at Fortress Rocks �컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 99' (33 yds) 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Length �컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 84' (28 yds) 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � A � � � � � � � B � � � Width 27' �- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - (9 yds)� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Average Depth at Center Line ~15' (5 yds) Area Has "V" Shape Across Its Width Note A: Volume of Waste Proposed for Area A is (28 x 9 x 5) 0.5 = 630 yds3 Note B: Volume of Waste Proposed for Area B is � (5 x 4.5 x 5) (2 x 0.5) = 57 yds3 687 yds3 Estimated Volume of Earth Fill to Cover Surface 1.0' Overburden (9 x 28 x 0.33) + (5 x 9 x 0.5 x 0.33 = 91.5 yds3