RADFORD, Va. (Sept. 23, 2025) — Radford Army Ammunition Plant leadership held a virtual media roundtable Tuesday, offering journalists across Virginia direct access to military and environmental officials overseeing the facility’s operations.

The event featured updates on environmental incidents, infrastructure improvements, and future plans to reduce open burning of hazardous waste.

Lt. Col. Marie Hough, newly appointed commander of RFAAP, emphasized the plant’s role in national defense and its commitment to safety.

“We support all branches of the U.S. military with the propellants we produce here,” Hough said, noting her eagerness to engage with the local community. “I want to make sure we are following the three C’s, making sure we are epitomizing, competence, commitment, and character. We want to make sure that while producing these propellants, that’s going to end up in the hands of the men and women that defend the station that we’re doing it safely and responsibly. That is very important to me.”

Officials addressed two recent chemical spills — one involving nitric acid in April and another mixed acid leak in June. Both incidents were contained without harm to the public or environment, according to Laura Dickerson, environmental protection specialist at RFAAP.

“Thanks to the expedient and diligent efforts of EMS and operations staff, the acid was neutralized, and the area was bermed off,” she said.
Rob Davie, RFAAP’s deputy to the commander, discussed the lingering impact of Hurricane Helene in 2024, which swept 13 chemical totes into the New River. Ten have been recovered, and search efforts continue for the remaining three.

“The water flowing through the warehouse was the equivalent of what goes over Niagara Falls in one second, and that was happening over and over. It was a massive amount of water and a very small amount of chemicals,” Davie said. “We have already removed all material out of the warehouses to prevent future incidents during flooding.”

A major focus of the roundtable was the upcoming Energetic Waste Incinerator/Contaminated Waste Processor Complex, set to be completed in June 2026. The facility is an alternative technology to open burning and provides a modern solution for safer waste removal with air pollution control devices.

Andrea Henry of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the facility will reduce open burning by 95%, calling it “the first-of-its-kind facility for Radford, the community, and the Army.”

Radford officials also reported that 95% of the plant’s waste in 2024 was recycled or reused. In the last decade, the Army has invested over $700 million in environmental upgrades at the facility, including the elimination of coal-fired power and the construction of acid concentrators.

“It is some of the most sweeping progress that has been made here since the site went into operation in the 40s,” said Barron Feit, chief of risk management at RFAAP.

About RFAAP: RFAAP, founded in 1940, began producing propellants in 1941 for World War II. It expanded during the Korean War, peaked in output during the Vietnam War, and was renamed in 1963. Since 1995, private contractors have operated the government-owned site, modernizing it to meet evolving military needs. RFAAP’s mission is to provide America’s warfighters with superior performing propellants, energetics, and munitions to enable engagement and destruction of targets with total confidence.
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