The Heritage
Disposal and Storage site encompasses 27 magazines (also referred to as
bunkers) storing approximately 1.77 million pounds of explosive materials near
Alda, Hall County, Nebraska. The site formerly operated as a commercial
business that recycled fireworks and munitions into fertilizer. Business
operations ceased in 2010 and the business declared bankruptcy in 2019. A
Removal Site Evaluation performed in November 2022, documented materials in a
degraded state and noted that ongoing maintenance was not being performed.
EPA conducted Time-Critical Removal Action activities at the site from October 2023 through February 2025. Initially, removal activities involved the stabilization of explosive and energetic materials to address their degraded condition. During the stabilization activities, it was noted
that some of the materials and their storage containers were in an advanced
state of deterioration and presented an increased risk of release and
explosion. A priority list, based on storage condition and material
characteristics, of the explosive materials to be addressed during subsequent
removal activities was developed. Additional removal
activities were conducted from April 2024 through January 2025 to address those priority materials. Those activities involved the offsite disposal of small
arms ammunition, mortar candles, detonation cord, and facility-related
chemicals, as well as, the onsite thermal destruction of ammonium nitrate, propellant, and pentaerythritol tetranitrate. An EPA-lead Non-Time-Critical Removal Action is being planned to address the approximate 1,255,000 pounds of explosive and energetic materials that remain at the site.
