Environmental impact assessment for the Saab Bofors Test Center Artillary Range area

FOI NBC Defence has made an environmental impact assessment for the Saab Bofors Test Center artillery range area. It is a 10 000 ha big civilian artillery range area that has been situated on its current position since 1912. Various operators have used the field for artillery tests and for waste destruction. Since 1999, all the activities at the artillery range area are run by Saab Bofors Test Center. They intend to apply for a permission according to the Swedish environmental law "Miljöbalken" for future activities in the area. This report is a conclusion of the environmental impact assessment. The complete environmental impact assessment is registered as FOI 03-1457/U. The activities in an artillery range area can affect the environmental and people´s health in many different ways. The environmental impact assessment shows the consequences from the former activities and how they affect the area today. The possible environmental and health risks from the activities for the coming ten years are also discussed in the environmental impact assessment. Some environmental consequences have been especially observed in the report, because of the estimated environmental influences and the opinions from the public and some authorities. The observed consequences are effect on the nature, effects from open burning, effects from earlier dumping, effects from noise and vibrations, effects from transportation and, finally, environmental and health effects from accidents. Alternative locations and technical solutions are discussed in the report. The recommended alternative is to keep the activities within the existing Saab Bofors Test Center artillery range area.