MUNITIONS MANAGEMENT AND MUNITIONS DESTRUCTION CENTRAL AMERICA MUNITIONS MANAGEMENT AND DESTRUCTION. Management and Destruction of Munitions

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1 MUNITIONS MANAGEMENT AND DESTRUCTION PROJECT: AREA COVERED: PARTNERS: EXECUTIVE AGENCY: Management and Destruction of Munitions Central America National Defense Ministries in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras; Nicaraguan Army; Public Security Ministry in Costa Rica Nationally designated organizations PERIOD: January - December 2012 TOTAL COST: US$ 844, Objectives Reduce risk to citizen safety and to personnel near or exposed to obsolete, excess, or unstable munitions and other explosives. Enhance citizen safety by increasing control and security over munitions kept in government storage facilities in Central America. Baseline Reference Thousands of tons of expired munitions are being stored in Central America in conditions that represent risks for citizens living near the storage facilities as well as to personnel working in those facilities. Some of the ministries responsible for management and destruction of munitions in those facilities have identified the munitions for destruction and in some cases also the quantities of expired munitions. OAS Member States from Central America have consulted or requested assistance from the General Secretariat of the OAS regarding the possibility of support on the issue: In February of 2010 Guatemala s National Defense Ministry and the OAS General Secretariat signed a cooperation and assistance agreement to implement a project to destroy munitions stored at the Ordnance Service General Storage Facility just north east of the capital. The project was concerned with the risk to civilian residents of the neighborhoods that grew around the facility. Also, the project was to address several munitions stored at the International Airport. By October 2010 all munitions stored at the Air Force s facilities in Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, including seventy-one 500 pound bombs,

2 were removed and safely transported for destruction. And by August 2011, more than 550 tons of munitions had been destroyed. On 31 March 2011, Costa Rica signed an agreement with the OAS for support in the destruction of firearms, munitions and other explosives. By 15 July 2011 the OAS had certified the safe destruction of more than 14 tons of munitions. In El Salvador the Armed Forces had formed a planning commission for destruction of small caliber weapons and munitions in anticipation of an agreement between the government and the OAS towards the latter part of Since November 2010 the government of Belize has also been considering the implementation of a munitions destruction project with the OAS. The Army of Nicaragua has indicated it has some 3,000 tons of munitions in poor condition and plans to destroy them under current agreements with the OAS. Storage facilities in Honduras also have deteriorated inventories of munitions identified for destruction. Addressing these issues within the OAS is the Program of Assistance for Control of Arms and Munitions (PACAM). The program is directed from the OAS and regionally implemented from regional offices in Managua, Nicaragua. The project presented here is designed to implement part of the mandate from OAS General Assembly Resolution 2627 of June 2011, which resolved to continue organizing specialized workshops and training programs on stockpile management and destruction of firearms and munitions. Methodology In each participating country the responsible institution will plan and implement the project. The national executive agency will need to form a detachment of up to 35 personnel for technical training in coordination with the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation and the OAS PACAM program. Training will consist of destruction methods best suited to each situation, and safety measures to be followed during handling, transportation, and packing and unpacking, and destruction of munitions. Responsible institutions in the management and destruction of munitions in Central America are shown below: Figure 1: National Institutions Responsible for Munitions Storage Facilities Country Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Executive Agency Defense Force Arms Directorate, Min Public Security Army Corps of Engineers Ordnance Service, Min. National Defense Logistics Directorate, Joint Staff Army Corps of Engineers

3 PACAM will prepare a support plan according to the task. The quantities and types of munitions identified for destruction by national authorities normally determine a time frame and a budget for the technical assistance required for destruction operations. The required training time for national personnel may vary from one to six months according to the scope and the size of each national project. Depending on the type of munitions to be destroyed either an incineration or a detonation method as shown in Figure 2 below can be used. For open detonation operations a special binary explosive can be used in order to benefit from the explosive s ease of handling, storage, and transporting. Should the responsible institution request assistance in transporting munitions to destruction sites, the PACAM program will be able to assist according to international safety standards, and by developing standard operational procedures to guide transportation. PACAM will also monitor all operations to certify destruction operations. The program will also be able to conduct assessments of the security and safety of storage facilities in order to improve the facility in these areas. Figure 2: Destruction Methodologies Method Type of Ammunition Open Detonation High Caliber Open Burning Propellants and Fireworks 57mm,70mm, 2.75mm Rockets Closed Burning Small Caliber

4 Activities and Anticipated Results During 2012, PACAM plans on the following activities, as shown in Figure 3 below, and their anticipated results: Objective 1: Reduce risk to citizen safety and to personnel near or exposed to obsolete, excess, or unstable munitions and other explosives: Activity 1.a: Train personnel from the executive agencies in each participating country on the safe disposal of munitions and other explosive materials. o Result: In Belize, 15 members of the Defense Force trained. o Result: 20 members of the Arms Directorate of Costa Rica s Ministry of Public Safety trained. o Result: 35 members of the El Salvador Army Corps of Engineers trained. o Result: Refresher training for 35 members of Guatemala s Ministry of Defense Ordnance Service conducted. o Result: 35 members of Nicaragua's Army Corps of Engineers trained. Activity 1.b: Provide technical, administrative and logistical support for the transport and destruction of munitions under the control of national authorities. o Result: Approximately 20 tons of explosives and munitions stored in Price Barracks, Belizario, and Punta Gorda of the Belizean Defense Force transported and destroyed. o Result: Approximately 10,000 riot control canisters and 400 mortar illumination rounds stored by the Arms Directorate of the Ministry of Public Safety in Costa Rica removed and destroyed. o Result: Some 50 tons of munitions stored at the Advanced Support Battalion in San Miguel, El Salvador, transported and destroyed. o Result: Approximately 50 tons of munitions stored at the 3 rd Infantry Brigade in San Miguel, El Salvador transported and destroyed. o Result: 500 tons of munitions stored by the Nicaraguan Army transported and destroyed in a first phase toward destroying a total of 3,000 tons of munitions.

5 Activity 1.c: Provide technical advice to Honduras Ministry of Defense in the development of a munitions destruction plan. o Result: Operational and support plans for the destruction of munitions in poor conditions in Honduras prepared in order to solicit financial assistance. Objective 2: Enhance citizen safety by increasing control and security over munitions kept in government storage facilities in Central America. Activity 2.a: Improve safety and security in munitions storage facilities by providing technical and administrative support. o Result: In Costa Rica, the storage facility at the National Arsenal improved against water and fire damage. o Result: In El Salvador, the munitions storage facility of the Armed Forces Advanced Support Battalion in San Miguel improved. Activity 2.b: Enhance security at arsenals in participating countries. o Result: In El Salvador, the perimeter security system of the storage facility at Military Detachment No. 3 in La Union updated. o Result: In Belize, security measures at Price Barracks, Belizario and Punta Gorda storage facilities strengthened. Country Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Figure 3: Synchronization of Activities 2012 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Key: Planning and coordination Training Destruction Operations Storage Facility Improvements

6 Risk and Mitigation Strategies Severe weather can force short delays or postponement of munitions destruction operations. However, days of poor weather can be used to conduct refresher training, to reinforce safety procedures, or review other preparations. It may not be possible to destroy large quantities of munitions at once thereby affecting the rate of progress in terms of total quantities destroyed. Most countries have specific areas for munitions destruction which may be restricted due to environmental requirements, their proximity to populated zones, or due to surrounding infrastructure. Such situations may restrict destruction to small quantities of munitions to avoid undesired effects. Internal bureaucratic processes within agencies involved in the approval process could limit operations. Although project details are coordinated, a bureaucratic process can delay or even block the project. To mitigate this situation the project is coordinated at the highest levels of government for approval so as to be able to rely on the support necessary to avoid changes to the logistics or to government priorities that can negatively affect the project. Secured financing from donors will also mitigate project delays. Human Resources All destruction operations will be conducted by an especially prepared detachment of about 35 personnel from each institution responsible for the munitions assisted by munitions technicians. Paramedics will be present during operations with the means to evacuate any injured personnel to a level III medical facility in less than one hour. PACAM s Regional Coordination in Central America will form a five-person team with EOD level 3 capability to coordinate administrative, technical, and logistical support for the operational unit, and to certify operations and results. The Golden West Humanitarian Foundation will provide two technical instructors to train and advise the national members of the operational unit. Monitoring and Evaluation The Project will be monitored and evaluated by each national responsible institution based on daily and supplemental field reports. A PACAM technical supervisor will permanently monitor the project and will keep the Regional Coordinator informed on operational activity through daily reports. The operational unit leader and PACAM s technical advisor at the destruction site will prepare daily records of munitions destroyed and will initiate a daily and monthly report to their respective organizations. PACAM s Regional Coordination will keep a registry of daily records and will provide progress reports and other information as required to the OAS program for evaluation and reports to project donors.

7 Project Innovation The project organizes an operational team for the management of munitions storage facilities and munitions destruction operations using an innovative approach. The basic level of knowledge available in each country s operational unit is reinforced by experienced OAS technical personnel certified at level 3 in munitions destruction and ordnance disposal. Technical advice provided by Golden West Humanitarian Foundation assures the quality of operations through periodic field visits. Golden West personnel also share in the application of innovative techniques thanks to their long and deep expertise in explosives disposal. Project Impact The project will reduce the likelihood of accidental explosions at munitions storage facilities with possible catastrophic results for nearby neighborhoods. Strengthened safety and security at each facility will serve to prevent unwanted loss of explosive materiel. Sustainability Destruction of excess or unstable munitions solves immediate problems these munitions present to the different countries. In the medium term, one or two years, there should be no need in Central America to repeat destruction activities as under this project. However, each country needs a concerted effort to ensure that the concepts and procedures introduced will be institutionalized so as to prevent dangerous conditions to reappear. To supplement this regional effort the OAS program, in collaboration with Spain s Ministry of Defense, will strengthen national capability in the management and destruction of munitions through formal training. During 2011, 14 Central American technicians were trained in this specialty at International Demining Center in Hoyo de Manzanares, Spain. This regional initiative may become an annual activity to ensure Central American countries have the technical capacity to maintain safety and security of their arsenals. Budget Summary Direct Costs $USD Personal 404, Logistical Support - Destruction 250, Logistical Support Management and Security 75, Operational Support 21, Total Direct Cost 752, Indirect Costs Recovery (11% OAS Exec. Order 07-01) 92, Project Total $ 844,945.00