Development of a Partial Containment System (PCS) to Aid in the Open Air Excavation and Removal of Chemical Weapons Material

A portable system for the capture of chemical agent gases released accidentally during the recovery of discovered non-explosively configured chemical warfare material has been designed, fabricated and tested at Southwest Research Institute. The system is designed specifically to support traditional trenching operations where a backhoe is employed to excavate a 4 ft wide and 4 ft deep linear trench. The system consists of two open-air exhaust hoods that are connected via 42 in. diameter duct to a Y containing a large exhaust fan with a 48 in. outlet duct. One hood consists of a 2 ft high by 10 ft long vertical face that is placed adjacent to the trench side during excavation. The second hood is placed horizontally over the trench, opposite the backhoe, and has a neoprene flap designed to seal off the cleared trench behind. The system is run continually during excavation. In the event of a release, as detected by chemical alarms or other means, the backhoe is withdrawn, and a heavy duty polyester reinforced vinyl coated shroud or awning is deployed over the trenched area of the release. See also ADM000767. Presented at DoD Explosives Safety Seminar (27th) held in Las Vegas, NV on 22-26 August 1996.