SECOIA is the name of the French programme of destruction of the old chemical ammunition. It is the acronym of ( Site of Elimination of the Loadings of Old Identified Objects );
Among the after-effects of war, chemical weapons which, for much, date from War 14-18 reappear regularly for geological and climatic reasons, at the time of agricultural activities, forest, of fishing or public works or private. There is also a great number which was immersed at sea where they can still pose problem.
They should be destroyed by safety, and to respect the obligations of International convention for the prohibition of chemical weapons (CIAC) of March 2nd, 1995, coming into effect on April 29th, 1997.
Until 1994, the ammunition old discoveries in France were transported by the bomb disposal experts to be destroyed by " pétardage" out of bay of Somme, i.e. by explosion without distinction of the type (chemical or different) and in spite of the presence of protected spaces (of which a colony of seal in the course of reconstitution).
This type of destruction was comparable to a form of rejections of toxic waste at sea and is now prohibited. The French State thus decided in 1997 the construction of a factory (SECOIA) unique in France which should be operational in 2008, that is to say 9 years after Belgium and 8 years after Germany.
Project SECOIA
It east is planned for approximately 30 years and is entrusted to DGA, responsible for the control of the complex works. The ammunition will be collected and led to the factory in the trucks armor-plated by the ministry for the interior, by the bomb disposal experts of the Management of defense and safety civil (DDSC). The Ministry for defense is responsible for storage, the dismantling and the elimination of residual toxic waste. By 2007, it was estimated that the stock of chemical ammunition terrestrial (account not held of underwater stocks) will be about 250 T.In Germany and Belgium, similar installations have functioned for several years, but with limits as regards capacity and requiring intervention human near the ammunition, even with their contact. In France, about fifteen people should be enough to make function the site remotely by controlling (approximately 100 m) the operations, with a small base life and a secretariat.
Place
Military camp of Mailly (Paddle), 70 km in the south of Rheims and 4 km of the nearest village, idem for the CSIMA (center of intermediate storage for old ammunition) which will receive the chemical ammunition (200 T for the end of 2006) in waiting of their destruction.
Safety
Installations armor-plated and “classified for the protection of L `environment” (ICPE, with local Commission of information and monitoring (CLIS), trucks armor-plated, automated handling led remotely.
Times, programming
Tally and financing; Law of programming soldier 2003-2008.- 1st phase: 3 to 4 years for résorbtion of existing stock. (85 T détruites/an envisaged)
- 2nd phase: destruction of 20 tons per annum.
2 modes of destruction considered:
- 1) small gauges : put at the furnace and heated until their opening or degradation of pollutant gases with 500°C
- 2) large ammunition : immersed in nitric Acid liquid waste and processing (liquid or gas) in a furnace at very high temperature to destroy the organic molecule which would have resisted the preceding treatment, then treatment of smoke for recovery of the residual poisons.
- solid waste would have to some extent being decontaminated and recycled or “developed”, which should be facilitated by the take-off of the prices of metals in the years 2005. If they could not be decontaminated, they are “inerted” and returned in discharge of class I. the ministry for defense does not want any rejection liquid.
- 2) large ammunition : immersed in nitric Acid liquid waste and processing (liquid or gas) in a furnace at very high temperature to destroy the organic molecule which would have resisted the preceding treatment, then treatment of smoke for recovery of the residual poisons.
3 stages initially envisaged;
- 1) a phase of studies which were to be closed at the end of 2004. And in parallel, instruction of authorization to exploit for the end of 2004
- 2) the launching of construction, then the integration of the equipment were to be finished in 2006 (périoode of test)
- 3) the startup operational envisaged fine 2007/début 2008 could still be pushed back at 2010.
- 2) the launching of construction, then the integration of the equipment were to be finished in 2006 (périoode of test)
Y will be treated as in Belgium and Germany of the ammunition which did not function for an unknown reason and which cannot be normally dismounted.
Primary sources: Bruno Pezron (service of the nuclear programs of the DGA) directing of the program SECOIA, senatorial debate. press release DGA and http://www.senat.fr/rap/r00-429/r00-4294.html
Internal bonds
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