SAFR:   Halawa Naval Pistol Range

Arctic Miner™ alluvial recovery systems are a unique, Alaska-based development brought about by the need to meet or exceed the world's most stringent water quality standards, yet afford the maximum fine gold recovery from an alluvial deposit. This mineral processing concept was designed to provide a completely self-contained, mobile mineral processing solution. Our first system was built in 1985. In 2003, the Arctic Miner™ was adapted to be used for Small Arms Firing Range remediation/Pb removal. If we've learned anything it is this: If they tell you there is no clay in the berm, they are lying. If they tell you the vegetation will be removed, they are lying. (Big smiley face goes here.)

Halawa Naval Pistol Range

Using jigs for Pb removal was intended to target the fine powered Pb that is the product of high velocity impacts produced by today's high velocity bullets: 9mm, 5.56mm and 7.62. The Arctic Miner™ was a good fit, because of the high fine Au recovery afforded by the use of the Pan Am jigs and recycling the water would keep the Pb on-board.

Further, it was realized that system water supply might be restricted to water trucks. Therefore, using as little water as possible was necessary. The Mk142 flow sheet was used for the TW10HM. Given the nature of the recovery, in this case .22 to .45 cal bullets and fragments thereof, the recovery circuit . . . 'underused' with respect to fines recovery in this case. Most of the recovered Pb was in the form of bullets intact, deformed to mangled.

The first TW10HM was used at Halawa Naval Pistol Range in 2004. Reducing an Arctic Miner™ to fit into a 40ft connex was an interesting process. TRL re-designed, disassembled the Mk142, fabricated the first TW10HM and transported the completed TW10HM by connex to the jobsite in less than 90 days--which included a complete rebuild, because of a misinterpretation of connex inside dimensions. The Mk142 started out 11ft wide, 24ft long, 13ft high. The completed TW10HM in travel configuration was 7ft 6in wide, 7ft 6in high, and 26ft long.

Halawa Naval Pistol Range is located behind the prison on Oahu below Camp Smith about 2 miles. The range is located at the base of the mountain range on the east side of the Halawa Valley. The pistol range is part of Camp Smith.
The range has a sandy berm fronting the usual Hawaii red clay berm that comprised the historical berm. The object of the job was a safety clean-up of the sandy berm. The military and federal government does not care how many yards per hour or per whatever one has actually run, one starts out on their jobs at the low end of the totem pole. The pistol range was a little over 200CY. The TW10HM was sized according to transportation constraints, mobility and production requirements. From the gold fields of Alaska to Oahu by container ship.