HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- The Air Force anticipates having several large detonations at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) over the next several weeks. The detonations – those involving more than 10,000 pounds of net explosive weight – are to destroy old or obsolete Department of Defense rocket motors.
A detonation is the best way environmentally to dispose of large rocket motors. Since 2012, more than 300 motors have been destroyed at the UTTR, the only permitted location in the United States where these detonations can be done. Depending on weather conditions, one or two detonations are planned per week through September. This is subject to change based on weather, workload and other factors.
Before each detonation operation at the UTTR, the Air Force takes atmospheric readings to check wind speed, wind direction and other weather factors. This data is entered into a sound prediction model to determine if conditions are acceptable for a detonation. If the model predicts that sound is going to be louder than permitted levels at locations along the Wasatch Front, the detonations are delayed. However, no sound prediction model can be 100 percent accurate all the time. Some residents in northern Utah may hear a boom and feel vibrations moments after a detonation on the range, which is approximately 80 miles west of Salt Lake City in Utah’s West Desert.