Pine Bluff Arsenal

Pine Bluff Arsenal is an active U.S. Army installation located about eight miles northeast of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. It was established on November 2, 1941, by the War Department Chemical Warfare Service, originally to manufacture and assemble incendiary munitions before its mission expanded during the Second World War. Over the following decades the arsenal produced, stored, and maintained a range of chemical and incendiary munitions, and it once held roughly 12 percent of the nation's chemical-weapons stockpile, including mustard agent and nerve agents. Between 2005 and 2010 the installation destroyed its chemical-weapons stockpile, completing that work in November 2010. The arsenal remains active today, with a mission focused on specialized production, storage, maintenance, and distribution of readiness products such as smoke, riot-control, and incendiary munitions.

Because of its long history of munitions production, storage, burial, and demilitarization, parts of the installation have been the subject of environmental investigation and concerns about potential exposure to contaminants in soil, groundwater, and surface water. The contaminants below have been documented or are under assessment in connection with the installation's operations.

1. RDX and other explosives. RDX is a powerful explosive compound that has been used in military munitions, and explosives residues have been associated with sites where munitions were manufactured, handled, or buried. At Pine Bluff Arsenal, the once common practice of burying munitions, explosives, and other chemicals left munitions response sites that have required remediation, including groundwater and surface-water sampling. Exposure to elevated levels of certain explosives compounds has been associated in some studies with potential effects on the nervous system and other organs, though documented health outcomes depend heavily on the level and duration of exposure.
2. Heavy metals. Heavy metals such as lead and other metallic residues can remain in soil and water at sites associated with munitions production and burial. At the arsenal, the same munitions response sites and surface-removal operations that addressed buried explosives have included sampling for residual contamination. Long-term exposure to certain heavy metals has been associated with concerns about potential effects on multiple body systems, with risk generally tied to the specific metal and exposure pathway.
3. PFAS. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a large group of long-lasting synthetic chemicals that were commonly found in AFFF firefighting foams used at many military installations. Pine Bluff Arsenal is included in the Department of Defense PFAS assessment program because of the potential historical use of AFFF, and such foams have been a recognized source of PFAS reaching groundwater at military sites. Some PFAS, including PFOS and PFOA, have been associated in research with concerns about potential health effects, which is part of why the Department of Defense has been investigating their presence at installations nationwide.

Pine Bluff Arsenal is not listed on the National Priorities List (Superfund). Environmental work at the installation has instead been carried out under Army and Department of Defense programs, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managing remediation of munitions response sites that include a large surface-removal effort, subsurface clearance, and groundwater and surface-water sampling. Separately, the installation is part of the Department of Defense PFAS preliminary-assessment program, which reviews existing information to determine whether further investigation or action is warranted.

Veterans, civilian employees, and others who served or worked at Pine Bluff Arsenal may wish to stay informed as environmental investigations and cleanup efforts continue. Anyone with questions about possible exposures and related health concerns is encouraged to speak with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a personal healthcare provider, who can offer guidance based on individual history and current information.