RADFORD, Va. (WSET) — The groundbreaking for the new energetic waste incinerator at Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RFAAP) took place in an official ceremony on Thursday.
Over the past decade, the Army invested $715 million in improving the environmental impact at RFAAP.
“The Army cares about the communities in which we operate, and we are fully committed to working together with local leaders to ensure all our facilities operate safely and that our practices are transparent and well understood,” said Col. Ronnie Anderson, commander of Joint Munitions Command, RFAAP’s higher headquarters.
“Over the past decade alone, the Army has invested approximately $715 million towards reducing the environmental impact of our operations at Radford. Our efforts have yielded substantial progress in reducing the plant’s environmental footprint, marking one of the most significant transformations since the plant’s inception in 1940,” said Amy Borman, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health.
Through continuous waste reduction and process improvements, RFAAP has significantly decreased open-burning ground waste by over 50% since 2017, consistently operating below permitted levels. The level of open burning is now consistently below the permitted amount.
The project, managed by the Norfolk District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and awarded to Parsons Government Services, Inc., for $145 million, is slated for completion in Summer 2025. Once operational, the incinerator will replace the need for open burning and use environmentally friendly technology.