Ordnance and Explosives Program

Military Munitions Response Program

Overview of Terminology Changes

• Starting in 2003, the Army began implementation nationwide of new terminology, acronyms and definitions used to describe its ordnance cleanup program.
• old term = new term

Ordnance and Explosives (OE) Cleanup Program = Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP)

OE = Military Munitions

• Definition: All ammunitions products and components produced for or used by the armed forces for national defense and security.
• Includes: Confined gaseous, liquid, and solid propellants; explosives; pyrotechnics; riot control agents; smokes and incendiaries, including bulk explosives; rockets; guided and ballistic missiles; bombs; warheads; mortar rounds; artillery ammunitions; small arms ammunition; grenades; mines; torpedoes; depth charges; cluster munitions and dispensers; demolition charges; and devices and components thereof.
• Additional Information: Military Munitions also covers a more specific term for those ammunition products and components that may pose explosive safety risks called munitions and explosives of concern (MEC). MEC consists of two distinct types of military munitions with unique explosive safety risks: unexploded ordnance (UXO) and discarded munitions (DMM).

OE Scrap = Munitions Debris

• Definition: A military munition or components thereof that does not contain explosives or pyrotechnics.
• Includes: Practice munitions without spotting charges, inert training munitions, expended ejection munitions, and fragments of exploded/destroyed military munitions that do not contain explosives or pyrotechnics.

Non-OE Scrap = Range-Related Debris

• Definition: Debris, other than munitions debris (e.g., nails, wire, targets)

OE Site = Munitions Response Site (MRS)

• Definition: Land requiring a munitions response because it is known or suspected of containing munitions and explosives of concern (MEC)
• Additional Information: With this term, the naming convention for sites at the former Fort Ord has changed slightly. For example, site OE-16 is now MRS-16. For sites in the Impact Area (OE-15), the 15 has been dropped from their names (example: the Seaside parcels used to be known as OE-15SEA.1-4, but they are now called MRS SEA.1-4).

Removal action = Munitions Response

• Definition: Response actions, including investigation, removal and remedial actions to address the explosives safety, human health, or environmental risks presented by MEC.

Multi-Range Area (MRA) = Impact Area

• Description: 8,000 acre area located in the south-central portion of Fort Ord that once served as the base's primary target area for weapons training activities.
• Additional Information: The Impact Area is expected to have the highest density of Military Munitions such as artillery projectiles, rockets, hand grenades, land mines, pyrotechnics, bombs, demolition materials and other items. The Impact Area is posted with warning signs and is off-limits to unauthorized people.

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) = Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

• Definition: Military munitions that:
  • • have been primed, fuzed, armed or otherwise prepared for action
    • have been fired, placed, dropped, launched or projected
    • remain unexploded by design or malfunction
• Includes: High-explosive warheads, rocket motors, practice munitions with spotting charges, torpedoes, artillery and mortar ammunition, grenades, incendiary munitions, electroexplosive devices, and propellant-actuated devices.
• Additional Information: UXO is now classified as one of two types of munitions and explosives of concern (MEC).

New Terms

Discarded Military Munitions (DMM)

• Definition: Unfired military munitions that have been abandoned, discarded, or improperly disposed of and are still capable of functioning (example: items found with their cartridges).
• Additional Information: These items typically signify burial sites. DMM is one of two types of munitions and explosives of concern (MEC).

Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC)

• Definition: Classification for those military munitions that pose an explosive safety risk.
• Additional Information: MEC consists of two types of military munitions that pose explose safety risks:

UXO (fired military munitions)

DMM (unfired military munitions)

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