UXO Site selected: Shumaker Naval Ammunition Depot, AR |
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General Area: Camden, AR Site Type/Program: FUDS Location: The Shumaker Naval Ammunition Depot (NAD) is located several miles northeast of Camden, Arkansas in the counties of Calhoun and Ouachita, Arkansas. Brief History: Before 1944, the area was strictly rural and used for farming purposes. The site was operated by the U.S. Navy from 1944 until 1957 for the manufacture, testing, storage, distribution, disassembly, reworking, and destruction of ammunition, bombs, and explosives, principally rockets. It was operated by the National Fireworks Ordnance Corporation as a government owned - contractor operated (GOCO) facility under the supervision of U.S. Navy personnel. Improvements to the site included an extensive railroad system, hundreds of reinforced concrete storage magazines, and an eight-mile long rocket test range in addition to production and handling facilities for all types of high explosive admixtures, to include TNT, Composition "B,@ Ammonium Nitrate, RDX Base and aluminum powder. The facility was declared excess by the SA in 1960 and was subsequently conveyed by the GSA to various individuals in 1960 and 1961. A proposed statement of contamination was approved by the District Public Works Office of New Orleans in February 1961. At the time of the Navy's departure there were only two bidders, International Paper (I.P.) and Highland Resources (Brown Engineering was the parent company). I.P. purchased roughly 40,000 acres, while Highland acquired 25,000 acres. Highland's area included the old headquarters compound, production facilities, and hundreds of warehouses and underground bunkers where ammunition and explosives had been stored. They transformed the area into an industrial park. Highland did sell 10,000 acres of timber land, 5,000 each to the Weiner and Kurth families. The Kurths sold theirs to the Georgia-Pacific railroad while the Weiners still own their parcel. |
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Range / Site Description: Associated Munitions: Activities Completed: The ASR was completed by the St. Louis District in March 1995 assigning an overall RAC score of 2 due to the probability of OE contamination. Issues: Area "D": During the use of the Rocket Test Range only three live warheads were fired. All three had confirmed detonation. The remaining rockets fired on the test range had inert, but fused heads. Through research it was determined that several items of OE have been recovered by EOD since closure of the facility. During site inspection a 5'' High Velocity Aircraft Rocket was located. A portion of the range was used as a rocket disposal/burn area. This area was surveyed during inspection and a number of lids of various shapes and sizes were found. Area "E": Historical documents indicate that inert warheads were disposed of in 15 existing deep well disposals located throughout the site area. The OE was dumped into the wells and the top six feet covered with earth. Other Information: EE/CA |
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