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 no ongoing maintenance was not being performed.
In October 2023, EPA Region 7 initiated a time-critical removal action at the Heritage Disposal and Storage site. The primary objective of the time-critical removal action is to stabilize abandoned explosive and energetic materials containing hazardous substances that are currently being stored in 27 magazines at the site. Required inspection and maintenance of those magazines and the materials within are no longer being conducted and the condition of both are deteriorating. The ongoing degradation has resulted in destabilization of the materials, increasing the risk of explosion. This time-critical removal action will mitigate the immediate threat to human health and the environment by stabilizing the explosive material containing hazardous substances.
