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Environmental Monitoring of Groundwater, Surface Water, and Soil at the Ammonium Perchlorate Rocket Motor Destruction Facility at the Letterkenny Army Depot, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, 2021

Open-File Report 2024-1031
Prepared in Cooperation with the Letterkenny Army Depot
By:  and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20241031

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Abstract

Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, built an Ammonium Perchlorate Rocket Motor Destruction (ARMD) Facility in 2016 to centralize rocket motor destruction and contain all waste during the destruction process. The U.S. Geological Survey has collected environmental samples from groundwater, surface water, and soils at ARMD since 2016.

During 2021, samples were collected from four groundwater wells in September, one surface-water site in October, and five soil sites in November near the facility. Samples were analyzed for nutrients, trace metals, major ions, total volatile organic compounds, and perchlorate. Perchlorate was not detected in any 2021 samples.

Groundwater results showed no constituents exceeded any U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL). Dissolved arsenic (As) was detected in one well above the reporting detection level (RDL) of 3 micrograms per liter (μg/L) at 5.4 μg/L but below its MCL of 10 μg/L. Dissolved iron (Fe) was the only inorganic constituent measured above an EPA secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL). All groundwater samples collected in 2021 exceeded the Fe SMCL of 300 μg/L, with concentrations ranging from 390 μg/L to 3,500 μg/L.

Surface-water data collected during 2021 showed no measured constituents in the surface-water sample that exceeded any EPA MCL or SMCL.

Soil samples collected from 2016 through 2021 showed all concentrations of As exceeded the EPA soil screening levels of 3 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) but did not exceed the Pennsylvania medium-specific concentrations for As of 61 mg/kg. Arsenic concentrations in 2021 ranged from 9.1 mg/kg to 12.9 mg/kg.

The 2021 results for the ARMD Facility indicate no increases in concentrations of reported compounds compared to data from 2016 to 2020. The contained burn treatment facility for demilitarization of rocket motors during 2021 appears to have operated without elevating concentrations of target compounds compared to previous years.

Suggested Citation

Galeone, D.G., and Donmoyer, S.J., 2024, Environmental monitoring of groundwater, surface water, and soil at the Ammonium Perchlorate Rocket Motor Destruction Facility at the Letterkenny Army Depot, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, 2021: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2024–1031, 31 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20241031

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Study Design and Methods
  • Quality Assurance and Quality Control
  • 2021 Characterization Data
  • Study Limitations
  • Summary and Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Environmental monitoring of groundwater, surface water, and soil at the Ammonium Perchlorate Rocket Motor Destruction Facility at the Letterkenny Army Depot, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, 2021
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2024-1031
DOI 10.3133/ofr20241031
Year Published 2024
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Pennsylvania Water Science Center
Description Report: vii, 31 p.; Data Release
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
Other Geospatial Letterkenny Army Depot
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details