AmPPER (Ammonia Port Preparedness and Emergency Response) is a DHS S&T research effort, led by the Chemical Security Analysis Center (CSAC), to develop and test risk‑mitigation technologies and practical protective procedures for large‑scale ammonia releases at U.S. ports. The DHS article (Jan 27, 2026) describes chamber experiments (e.g., water‑curtain simulations) and partnerships with federal labs; the article does not state a fixed project end date or overall duration.
The Chemical Security Analysis Center (CSAC) is DHS S&T’s center for chemical threat analysis and experimental testing (located at Aberdeen Proving Ground). CSAC provides science‑based threat and risk analysis, laboratory and field tests (including the Jack Rabbit series), 24/7 technical assistance to operational partners, and it is leading the AmPPER program.
NIOSH’s Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) value for ammonia is 300 parts per million (ppm). The DHS AmPPER article states experiments and respirator tests targeted the “high concentrations that will be seen in a release,” but it does not publish the exact experimental concentrations; therefore direct numerical comparison of tested scenarios to the 300 ppm IDLH is not publicly available in the article.
A water curtain mitigates ammonia releases by spraying droplets that absorb or dissolve gaseous ammonia, reducing airborne concentration and changing plume behavior. ‘Droplet size’ means the diameter of water droplets produced (smaller droplets give greater surface area for gas uptake); ‘nozzle characteristics’ refer to nozzle type, flow rate and spray pattern that determine droplet size distribution and curtain density. DHS testing identified optimal droplet sizes and nozzle parameters and found colder, lower‑salinity water increases ammonia interaction and concentration reduction—practical implications are selecting pumps, nozzles, and water sources that produce the tested droplet sizes and sufficient curtain coverage for port layouts.
The DHS article reports that air‑purifying escape respirators (escape hoods) were evaluated and found “protective at the high concentrations that will be seen in a release.” The article does not list specific models, filter classes, or exact test atmospheres; CSAC images name an ILC Dover Scape escape hood as an example used in testing but detailed test conditions are not provided in the public release.
The article states AmPPER will produce science‑based recommendations for DHS components, the U.S. emergency response community, and the American Association of Port Authorities, but it does not state that those findings will automatically change regulations or mandate procedures. Regulatory or funding changes would require separate agency rulemaking or appropriations; the public release gives stakeholders evidence to inform policy and operational decisions, but no binding regulatory action is announced in the article.
DHS says AmPPER results will be shared with DHS components (U.S. Coast Guard, FEMA, CISA), the American Association of Port Authorities, and the U.S. emergency response community. The article does not give a public release schedule or exact timing for reports/procedures; CSAC’s webpage lists AmPPER project products (e.g., fact sheet, curtain‑mitigation survey) among its resources, indicating results and guidance will be published through CSAC/S&T channels, but specific publication dates are not provided.