Hill Air Force Base to start detonation operations this month

Kayla Baggerly
·2 min read
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DAVIS COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — This month, the Hill Air Force Base, located in Davis County, will begin its season of large detonation operations at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR).

These detonations — which are planned to last through September — involve more than 10,000 pounds of net explosive weight intended to destroy old or obsolete Department of Defense rocket motors.

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These operations might lead to some rumblings or noise, but despite this, Amanda Burton, 75th Civil Engineer Group’s Environment Branch Chief, said it’s environmentally the best way to dispose of these large rocket motors.

“We want to do this work without adversely affecting our neighbors and the environment,” Burton said.

Since 2012, more than 300 motors have been destroyed at the UTTR, which is the only permitted location where these detonations can be done.

In a news release, the Air Force said they take measures to minimize any rumbling or shaking residents may feel. Before each operation, the Air Force says they take atmospheric readings to check wind speed, direction and other environmental factors.

From there, the data is entered into a sound prediction model to see if conditions are acceptable for a detonation, and if the model predicts that sound will be louder than permitted levels in areas along the Wasatch Front, the detonations are delayed.

But, Burton said, no prediction model is always 100% accurate. Over the years, every now and then, some northern Utah residents have reported feeling vibrations minutes after a detonation on the range. To give you an idea of how powerful these detonations are, that’s approximately 80 miles west of Salt Lake City in Utah’s West Desert.

“Atmospheric conditions can change rapidly between the time we take a reading and the actual detonation,” Burton said. “This current model we’re using is a very reliable tool in determining how far sound from a detonation will travel from the UTTR.”

One or two detonations are planned each week through September at the UTTR, though they are subject to change based on weather, workload and other factors.

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