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AOC 36 - Mustard Gas Investigation Report
Section 3.0 - Aerial Photographs Review
As part of an Environmental Assessment conducted by Parsons ES in 1992 and 1993, aerial photographs were researched for the CSSA area. Aerial photographs available through commercial services are from the years 1957 and 1962. Prior to the 1950s, aerial photography over the CSSA and Camp Bullis areas was prohibited. Therefore, there are no photographs available for the years of interest, 1942 and 1958.
Although the bottom of the aerial photographs indicate a scale of 1:2000, distances between known points on the photographs, such as roads, were checked and found to be 1:1000 (one inch = 1,000 feet). The same points were checked against the USGS 7.5-minute topographic map for the area and verified to be 1:1000. Copies of the photos are in the Attachments as Figures 3 and 4 (photocopier was set at 100% reproduction at the lightest toner setting).
In the general area of the shell burial coordinates, some waste management activities can be observed. These SWMUs are currently identified by CSSA as B-3, B-10, B-19, and Building 43. It is unknown when these areas were first utilized for any waste management. In the location of the shell burial coordinates, there is currently another SWMU identified as B-28 which did not appear on the 1957 and 1962 photos. In the 1957 photo, SWMUs B-3, B-19, and Building 43 are identified, as are the shell burial coordinates. In the area of the shell burial coordinates, no waste management activities are observed. However, in the 1962 photo a small oval area can be seen around a tree shown in both photos, and this area is just east of the shell burial coordinates.