[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 55 (Monday, March 23, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 13842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-7363]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Change to the DoD 6055.9-STD, ``Department of Defense Ammunition 
and Explosives Safety Standards''

AGENCY: Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of change.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) is 
announcing Board-approved changes to DoD 6055.9-STD, dated August 1997.
    The DDESB is taking this action pursuant to its statutory authority 
as set forth in Title 10, United States Code, Section 172 (10 U.S.C. 
172) and DoD Directive 6055.9, ``Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) and 
DoD Component Explosives Safety Responsibilities,'' July 1996. The 
Standard is applicable to the Office of the Secretary of the Defense, 
the Military Departments (including the Army and Air Force National 
Guards), the Defense Special Weapons Agency, the Defense Logistics 
Agency, the Coast Guard (when under DoD control) and other parties who 
produce or manage ammunition or explosives under contract to the DoD. 
Through DoD 6055.9-STD, the DDESB establishes minimum explosives safety 
requirements for storing and handling ammunition and explosives. Copies 
of the Standard may be obtained from the U.S. Department of Commerce, 
National Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Road, 
Springfield, VA 27161. The change will also be available at the NTIS 
when approved by the Washington Headquarters Services for publication. 
The Board-approved change, which includes requirements for storage of 
waste military munitions, will also be available at the NTIS when 
published. Since the change can not be published as part of this Notice 
and in order to relay the change to the States as soon as possible, the 
Department of Defense has made the Board-approved change available at 
the following Web address: http://www.acq.osd.mil/ens/esb/
decision.html. For more detailed information on specific aspects of 
this change, contact Ray Sawyer by calling (703) 325-8625 or by writing 
to Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board, 2461 Eisenhower 
Avenue, Room 856-C, Alexandria, VA 22331-0600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Dating back to 1928 when Congress directed 
the Secretaries of the military departments to establish a joint board 
officers to ``keep informed on stored supplies of ammunition and 
components thereof * * *, with particular regard to keeping those 
supplies properly dispersed and stored and to preventing hazardous 
conditions from arising to endanger life and property inside or outside 
of storage reservations,'' The DDESB has periodically revised or 
updated the Standard based on new scientific or technical information 
and explosive safety experience. The implementation of a change in DoD 
6055.9-STD does not depend on formal publication of the change. The 
change to the Standard is effective when adopted by the Board, or as 
the Board may otherwise direct. In order to ensure compliance, the 
Services and Defense Agencies modify their Service or Agency 
implementing procedures and standards accordingly. This change to the 
August 1997 version of DoD 6055.9-STD incorporates decisions the DDESB 
made at its 315th meeting held on January 21-22, 1998 and by DDESB 
memorandum dated January 13, 1998.
    The changes included herein address the following:
    Expands and clarifies the criteria for the location of barricades 
between exposed sites and potential explosion sites for protection from 
fragments and overpressure.
    Clarifies requirements for waivers and exemptions.
    Reduces the minimum fragment distance for Maritime Prepositioning 
Ships.
    Includes the requirement that installation quantity-distance maps 
be reconciled with installation master planning documents.
    Modifies the explosive equivalency of liquid oxygen (LO2)/liquid 
hydrogen (LH2) for siting launch vehicles.
    Address storage of waste munitions, that are included in a new 
Chapter 14, additions to Chapter 8, ``Hazard Identification for Fire 
Fighting' and Chapter 12, ``Real Property Contaminated With Explosives 
or Chemical Agents,'' and new definitions added to Appendix A.

    Dated: March 17, 1998.
L.M. Bynum,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 98-7363 Filed 3-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-M