Apr 19, 2023 1

Base Camp Challenges in Afghanistan

Talking Trash to Implement Green Changes while completing the mission

AND

saving lives, money, resources

LTC Robert Tucker, Ph.D.

Apr 19, 2023 2

Agenda Engineer Responsibilities in Theater Base Camp Challenges in Afghanistan

Components of typical Army trash Systems approach to waste management Possible solutions to complex problems Foaming issues Water cycles and use Cultural Heritage and Protected Items Land farming

Apr 19, 2023 3

Basic Axioms of Engineering• As capable engineers you know that:

– water runs down hill– engineering decisions are best left to engineers and

not combat arms officers– the mission of combat engineers is to break things or

in a pinch, build latrines and combat trails

– construction engineers build things and fix up what combat engineers broke

– mud is an engineer's most persistent foe; but, when properly harnessed is your best ally in defense

• At some point in the near future you will be heading to a base camp in a third world country and will be expected to know ALL things engineering

• Environmental stewardship and mission completion are not mutually exclusive

Apr 19, 2023 4

Landpower and the Engineer• Landpower is the ability-by threat, force, or occupation -

to promptly gain, sustain, and exploit control over land, resources, and people. FM 1

• … you may fly over a land forever, you may bomb it, atomize it, pulverize it and wipe it clear of life - but if you desire to defend it, protect it, and keep it for civilization, you must do this on the ground, the way the Roman legions did, by putting your young men into the mud. T.R. Fehrenbach FM 1 pg 1-1

• Getting the youth of America's Armed Forces out of the mud is a priority mission for the engineer's. R.E. Tucker

• Getting land forces, air forces and naval forces across the next obstacle and their capabilities into the close and deep fight is an engineer's priority mission. R.E. Tucker

• Planning, constructing, and management of base camp infrastructure is an engineer's priority mission. R.E. Tucker

Environmental Missions• Four main functions

– Solid waste management– Liquid waste management– Cultural Heritage Protection– Endangered Species Protection– (Energy systems)

• Relooking theater wide programs– Assisting with master planning at all levels– Assisting with energy proposals (waste to fuels,

methane production)– Innovative solutions, reuse programs, trading waste

for products and/or services

Apr 19, 2023 6

Waste Management Systems

• No Waste Segregation– Burning then burying - worst option

– Managed Landfill - not viable

• With Waste Segregation– Composting of organics

– Recycle materials (e.g., metals, wood)

– Incineration of organics– Hydrolyses of all waste fluff $$

– Pyrolysis of plastics/tires fuel

Apr 19, 2023 7

Graphical Representation of End of Mission

time (in months)

cost

in

do

llar

s

break even point

x = b2 - b1 m1 - m2

b is Y interceptm is slope

high initial investmentwith low recurring costs

low upfront costs but linear increase with time

savings

Clean up cost spike due to lawful compliance requirementsoften resulting from poor and/or uninformed operating practicesduring mission execution.

It is sometimes unfortunate when the clean up spike is larger than the initial cost of a cleaner system.

Apr 19, 2023 8

Components of Solid WasteFrom a study conducted in Bosnia in June 03

component percentage weight, kg/day

• Plastic bottles 24% 1100• other plastics 11% 533• cardboard 28% 1300• other paper 14% 667• food waste 4% 188• glass 3% 148 • cans (Al & steel) 2% 78• textiles, PS, misc 3% 149• wood 15,000

compostable

reuse or

compost

recycle

recycle

reduce or dump

reduce or dump

Apr 19, 2023 9

Pros and Cons - Burning

• Pros – – very easy to begin, cheep to operate – good volume reduction– generally done outside the wire– simple to operate burn pits and covering

• Cons – – produces toxic smokes, many components are

carcinogens– probable ground water and ground contamination– requires a lot of land– Force Protection issues with soldiers or TCNs going

outside the wire– always causes conflict with local populace – undoubtedly will have a very high remediation cost at

end of mission due to high concentrations of metals and possible ground water contamination

Apr 19, 2023 10

A Typical Burning Operation

Apr 19, 2023 11

An Incinerator Operationin Iraq - 2005

incinerator

metals and bottles must be removed from feed stock

sorting is done by hand after a truck dumps its load on a concrete pad, with no over head cover

Apr 19, 2023 12

stock pile of cans and glass

DAH lessons here?

ash pile

Need for System Approach

Apr 19, 2023 13

This is not an incinerator Air Curtain Destructor used in the Balkans and other CONOPS

Not designed for anything but wood and paper, NOT wet garbage or plastics

Afghanistan Solid Waste Management

• Initiating new processes to reduce, reuse, recycle, remove, rebuy

• MILCON projects added waste treatment yards, water treatment facility– Composting– Land farming (savings of ~$4 mil this year)– Recycling theater wide (DTM, Balad)– Oil Cat to recycle oil in tactical vehicles– Used oil for gravel swap at BAF (>$4 mil savings)– Shredded paper into fuel donuts - new project– Plastics and aluminum into products

• Incinerators• Switching from paper to dishes

Example of Costs at BAF 09

Product drums cost

Used oil 2736 $ 2.05 m

waste fuel 1676 $ 1.26 m

rags, filters 1984 $ 1.49 m

contam soil 156 $ 0.117 m

lithium bat 203 $ 0.152 m

In 2010, we saved >$4m by land farming PCS and pooh pond sludge from KAF

Solid Waste Facility

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sort facility

solid waste in

compacting markets

incineratesmall amounts

of trash

recycling, reuse

ash

ProcessescompostingHAZMAT yard

compostingland farmingagricultureland fill

aluminum cans &water bottles

Componentswood, paper,cardboard,metals, batteries,covered waste,tires, textiles,other plastics

markets

markets,proper disposal

with minimal effort,nearly all solid wastewill find a “home” andnot have to be burned

Recycling Facility Resource Areas

• HAZMAT Yard

• Incineration Area or (burn pit)

• Sort Area

• Administration Area and Scales

• Power Generation Area

• Compacting Area

• Storage Bins

• Composting area

MINIMUM Recycling Facility Resource Areas for Large Bases

• HAZMAT Yard– 200 ft x 300 ft = 60000 sq ft

• Incineration Area or (burn pit)– 300 ft x 300 ft = 90000 sq ft

• Sort Area– 150 ft x 150 ft = 22500 sq ft

• Administration Area and Scales– Minimum 70 ft x 70 ft = 4900 sq ft

• Power Generation Area– 100 ft x 100 ft = 10000 sq ft

• Compacting Area– 200 ft x 450 ft = 90000 sq ft

• Storage Bins– 100 ft x 200 ft = 20000 sq ft

• Composting Area– 300 ft x 300 ft = 90000 sq ft

Total 387400 sq ft = 8.9 acres

round up to 9 acres and/or 3.7 hectares

MINIMUM Recycling Facility for Bn level (below 4000 Pax?), area collection and transit site

• HAZMAT Yard – Bn 2000 Pax 100 x 100 = 10000 sq ft

• Incineration Area or (burn pit) – 200 x 200 = 40000 sq ft

• Sort Area – 150 ft x 150 ft = 22500 sq ft

• Administration Area – 70 ft x 70 ft = 4900 sq ft

• Power Generation Area– 100 ft x 100 ft = 10000 sq ft MAYBE

• Compacting Area– 100 ft x 100 ft = 10000 sq ft MAYBE

• Storage Bins– 100 ft x 100 ft = 10000 sq ft

Total 107400 sq ft = 2.5 acres = 1.0

hectare

Liquid Waste Management

• Goal is to reduce the “pump and dump” or pixie dust treatment syndrome with proper waste treatment facilities– Lagoons on partnered bases– US bases, use package plants on small FOBs

and package/lagoons on larger bases• Focus on using water as many times as

possible– Purple pipe systems– Limit RO systems for general use due to cost

and waste generated

Integrated Water System

04/19/23 21

source

cooking washing dishes

non-potable water

potable water

water bottling plantdisinfection

DFAC

showers & sinks

laundry

stools

gray water cleaned

waste treatment

lagoons

end user

multiple reuse options

effluent,agriculturepurple pipe

loop

sludge to: compostingland farmingagriculture

solidwaste stream

Washing vrs Paper ware

• BAF/KAF size base, ~25,000 PAX– $21,000/day for paper and plastic products

or a cost of $7.6 million/yr– generates ~7,300 lbs of solid waste/day or

2.7 mil/yr– assume a fully burdened cost factor or 4 the

cost soars to $30 mil/yr

• Payback period for changing to washing dishes (includes cost of buying all materials for a kitchen) is 45 to 50 days!

Apr 19, 2023 22

Foaming TentsEnergy Conservation

Full Life Cycle Management Requirements

Life Cycle Costs of Foaming a Tent• Loss of mobility of tent to Army• Loss of ~$10,000 for tent

– without considering fully burdened cost to get tent into theater

• Cost of foaming (~$7/sq ft), ~$10,500/tent• Cost of burial (~500 cu ft/tent) ~$10,000• Replacement cost of new tent ~$10,000• Replacement of ECU to smaller size ~$5,000

• Life cycle investment cost is over $45,000

04/19/23 24

Potential Savings by Foaming• Fuel savings by having ECU run less

– 30 Kw generator at 60% capacity use ~2.3 gal/hr– Same generator at 40% capacity uses about ~1.8 gal/hr– ASSUME 0.3 gal/hr fuel savings (due to excessive cycling)– 0.3 gal/hr x 24 hr = 7.2 gal/day (use 8 gal/day)

• Assume retail value of fuel at $3/gal = $24/d– $45,000/$24 = 1875 days (5.1 years) for payback

• Assume retail value of fuel at $5/gal = $40/d– $45,000/$40 = 1125 days (3.1 years) for payback

• Assume a fully burdened cost factor of 10 or $30/gal provides a savings of $240/d

• ~ 50% of the tents are showing significant cracking in less than 360 days and may need to be replaced

04/19/23 25

Distracters • FOBs are reporting that foamed tents have mold

and/or fungus growing between the foam and tent (due to high humidity and organic substrates in tent because they no longer breathe)

• Foam will release significant toxic gases if there is a fire (HF in most foams used in theater)

• Current ECUs are over sized for the tent space and should be resized to about 2 ton (capital investment required)

• Current environmental mono-fill burial policy in place; but, most FOBs do not have the space for burial – we end up hauling foam around theater (could negate the fuel savings during operations)

04/19/23 26

Analysis of one tent block

• One tent block near the XXXX Red Horse team tent was examined for wear

• The foam on the tents is about a year old

• 21 of the 27 tents showed cracks, some damage was significant with small chunks of foam missing and or broken away from the tent and two were evidently leaking

• Patched foam was not coated and during the rain, acted like a sponge for water

• Inside of the tent was not checked for mold04/19/23 27

Foamed Tent Block

04/19/23 28

30 Kw generatorsupports two ECUs

Foamed tentno cracks

X indicates crack(s) in foam. Each tent has four segments, x indicates approximate location of cracks

Each tent has an ECU

95

93

88

83

78

72

66

51

54

60

94

XXX

XXX

X

X

XXXX

XX

XX

X

XXX

X

XX

XXX

XXX

XXXX

X

X foam repair

X

X

XXX

X

XXX

X

Foamed tent78% have cracks

Pictures of Cracking, Tent 83

04/19/23 29

FOB Shank Tent 76

04/19/23 30

Picture a

Picture b

FOB Shank close ups

04/19/23 31

Picture B, close up. Shows one of the few spots where repair of a

crack was done with what appears to be the water repellant coating

Picture A, close up. Shows some of the most extensive cracking of foam within one tent

section from the tents examined in this block.

Soldier Repair Kit

04/19/23 32

Tent Foaming Detractors • Fuel saving – depends on following factors:

– need to reduce size of HVAC. Otherwise the same current load capability is required, thus the generator will run at a lower efficiency

– works best with centralized power grid• Foam used must not degas toxic or harmful compounds• Correct sealant(s) must be used • Install thermostats to regulate temperature and moderate

expectations on temperature inside a tent (65-68 winter and 80-85 in summer), use fans to move air

• Correct for energy used to dehumidify structure to prevent mold and other health effects

• Determine Full Life Cycle cost in analysis– examine full disposal cost of foam and tent– cost of replacing the tent to inventory

Alternatives to Foaming

• Build wooden structures correctly with insulation or retrofit with insulation

• Use PV sunshades over tents to provide convenience electricity (e.g., computers, iPods)

• Add winterization kits to tents

• Use fans and tent flaps to mediate temperature

• Set reasonable temperature expectations

Greenish Energy Alternatives

• Conservation

• Solar potential – cost and expectations

• Methane from sewage and DFAC waste

• Add generators to exercise equipment to add power to grid

• Wind potential (minimal)

• Limit transportation of “stuff” into theater

Cultural Heritage Projects

• Support to the National Museum – Renovations to existing building– Support for new wing addition

• Support to the Antiquities Institute– Construction of prefab storage and sorting

facilities at Mes Aynak and other active digs– Construction of restoration and storage

facilities in Kabul

Requirements For National Museum

• Need technical support from Corps to:– assist in design of proposed new wing – assist with renovation planning– design security system for museum artifacts– design system to utilize PV and solar panels– assist in training university students

• Interface with international community to identify sites for Regional or Provincial Museums

• Design and construct Provincial Museums

Requirements for the Archeological Institute

• Need technical support from Corps to:– assist in design of proposed new storage facility

– assist in design of proposed new artifact restoration facility, incorporating natural light, PV, and solar panels, identify equipment needs

– design security system for artifacts

– assist in design of storage facility and artifact preparation facility on Mes Aynak and other sites

– assist in training university students

– assist in field work as security permits

Cultural Sites are Everywhere

Apr 19, 2023 39

Mes Aynak on Top of Copper Ore

Apr 19, 2023 40

Stupa in Monastary

Apr 19, 2023 41

Archaeologist at work

Apr 19, 2023 42

Murals

Apr 19, 2023 43

Copper Mines and Stained Rock

Apr 19, 2023 44

Ancient Slag and Russian Trenches

Apr 19, 2023 45

Environmental Protection

Apr 19, 2023 46

Bear CoatStripes and spots not good

Cultural Heritage Items

Personnel Requirements

• Mandatory Center of Expertise for the Curation and Management of Archaeological Collections

• Two to four personnel in country on 6-12 month tours to support National Museum, Archaeological Institute, Site assessments across theater, LNO with DoS

• Reach back capability • Capability to JARB resources to support

continuing requirements

Landscape Analysis

• Need to review as much satellite data as possible to determine the impact of natural events on selected sites and develop any remediation steps to curb disruption at the site (in coordination with DAFA and sites our military activities impacted)

• To curb illegal digging at sites, identify where such activity could be occurring (more on this later)

• Identify possible new sites for examination near mineral deposits or ancient trade routes or militarily significant sites

Apr 19, 2023 49

Conclusions• Burning waste produces potentially toxic smokes that can

impact our mission execution and bring ill will of host nation populace

• Sewage lagoons and burn dumps can contaminate the ground water and surface area where our Soldiers and support personnel live

• Sloppy waste management practices may breed disease vectors and/or attract vermin that will make our Soldiers and support personnel sick

• High cost of FOB clean up when the mission is complete is paid by the US taxpayer (including your grandparents)

• Environmental Stewardship SAVES LIVES and resources; brings good will with host nation populace ergo increasing Force Protection support, protects our Soldiers and staff so they may return home safely

Apr 19, 2023 50

Questions and Answers