NOVELTY - An isolated Methylobacterium (I) which is Methylobacterium having ATCC Accession No. PTA-5125 and NCIMB Accession No. 13946 or having the identifying characteristics of the Methylobacterium sp. strain BJ001 having ATCC Accession No. PTA-5125 and NCIMB Accession No. 13946, is new.    USE - (I) is useful for degrading a nitroaromatic or nitramine compound to produce one or more degradation products, which involves contacting the compound with (I), where one or more degradation products is produced. The compound is a high energy compound chosen from TNT, RDX and HMX. The degradation products of the degrading have reduced toxicity relative to the toxicity of the nitroaromatic or nitramine compound degraded. The compound is substantially mineralized by the method. The contacting comprises distributing a composition comprising the bacterium to an environment in which one seeks to degrade the compound, combining a composition comprising the bacterium with soil, water or sediment obtained from a site contaminated with the compound, or combining a preparation comprising (I) with a sample comprising the nitroaromatic or nitramine compound. The preparation further comprises one or more additional microorganisms and one or more nutrients for the Methylobacterium. The sample is a soil sample. The method further involves adding one or more soil amendments to the soil sample. The soil amendments comprise one or more of manure, wood chips, potato scraps, apple pomace and corncobs (all claimed).    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - An isolated Methylobacterium (I) which is Methylobacterium having ATCC Accession No. PTA-5125 and NCIMB Accession No. 13946 or having the identifying characteristics of the Methylobacterium sp. strain BJ001 having ATCC Accession No. PTA-5125 and NCIMB Accession No. 13946, and isolated by contacting a Poplar tissue with a sterile preparation of growth medium that supports the growth of Methylobacterium sp., and isolating a single red or pink-colored bacterial colony from the preparation.    INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for the following:    (1) identifying (M1) a Methylobacterium that degrades nitroaromatic or nitramine compound, involves contacting tissue from a tree with a sterile preparation of growth medium that supports the growth of Methylobacterium sp., incubating the preparation of growth medium under conditions that permit the growth of Methylobacterium sp., isolating a pure culture of a Methylobacterium sp. from the growth medium, and contacting the isolated Methylobacterium sp. with a nitramine or nitroaromatic compound, and determining whether the nitroaromatic or nitramine compound is degraded, where degradation of the nitroaromatic or nitramine compound identifies the Methylobacterium as a species that degrades nitroaromatic or nitramine compound;    (2) preparing Methylobacterium sp. strain BJ001, involves inoculating a sterile preparation of growth medium that supports the growth of Methylobacterium sp. with a cell of Methylobacterium sp. strain BJ001 having the identifying characteristics of the ATCC Accession No. PTA-5125 and NCIMB Accession No. 13946, and incubating the preparation of growth medium to produce a preparation of the Methylobacterium sp. strain BJ001;    (3) a composition (II) comprising (I) and a high energy compound, or an aqueous slurry of solid material comprising a nitroaromatic or nitramine compound, and (I), the aqueous slurry being 30% solid material (w/w);    (4) a preparation (III) of (I), the preparation having a cell concentration of 1 % by volume of the Methylobacterium, or comprising a viable and dried product of (I); and    (5) a kit for the degradation of a nitramine or nitroaromatic compound, comprising (I).