UXO Site selected: Switzerland Bomb Target, FL
General Area: Switzerland, FL

Site Type/Program: FUDS

Location: The site consists of 1,782 acres of mostly undeveloped usage.

Brief History: The 640 acre site was originally acquired in 1940 for use as a practice landing field for Naval aviators. In 1943 the Navy acquired 1142.22 additional acres for more runways. Four permanent runways were constructed and drainage systems installed. The facility was used as an outlying field until mid-1946. In 1947 the landing field was designated as Naval Bomb Target and was used for that purpose until 1961. In August of 1961 the Federal Aviation Agency announced revisions to the restricted air space designation in and around the Jacksonville complex. Due to these restrictions, the use of this property as a bomb target was no longer feasible and it was determined excess to the needs of the Naval Air Station. In 1978 a 2.75" rocket motor that was buried was recovered, the ASR suggests that the target was also used as a disposal site.
Range / Site Description:

Associated Munitions:

Activities Completed: The ASR was completed in February of 1994 by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District.

Issues: Ordnance has been found on this site and the potential still exists for ordnance and explosives (OE) presence. During investigations by St. Louis District on sites close to Switzerland Bomb Target, the local sheriff reported to the SI Team that he frequently recovers ordnance at the site of the former Switzerland Bomb Target. In the original Risk Assessment Code the site was considered to be an isolated site in Part II E of the RAC form due to a swamp which surrounds the area. Huntsville Center (HNC) Safety felt that since the area is close to a public school and housing subdivision that the area was to be considered as having no barrier. It is also possible that there will be further development of the currently undeveloped land. The original RAC also did not consider HE bombs or rockets in Part I A. HNC Safety felt that the area had the potential of HE bombs and rockets. A Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal investigation in 1978 determined that there were no HE bombs at the site but that there were practice rockets, however safety still felt that it was possible to have HE bombs. The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) (14 Mar 96) concurred with HNC Safety and recommended that an EE/CA be performed on the entire site. Because of changes in the RAC form since the original was done in February 1994 and the potential of HE bombs and rockets, the RAC form done by safety at the TAG (14 Mar 96) changed this site from a RAC 3 to a RAC 1. On 8 December 1998, Messrs. Richard Pike and Mike Slovak, HNC, conducted a non-intrusive Site Investigation (SI) (see attached Trip Report). During this investigation, no evidence from HE loaded OE was discovered. Aided by a magnetometer, only small pieces of debris from practice bombs were discovered on the surface. Walking over the site with a magnetometer revealed sporadic subsurface anomalies. Checks of some of the craters@ in the bomb target area revealed only a single anomaly in some of these depressions, there were no anomalies in the sides of these craters@ that would indicate usage of HE loaded OE. Based on the results of this SI the TAG concurs with the revision of the RAC score from RAC 1 to RAC 2.

Other Information: EE/CA
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