UXO Site selected: BOARDMAN RANGE (FUDS - FORMER AIR FORCE RANGE), OR
General Area: Boardman, OR

Site Type/Program: FUDS

Location: 48,250 acres of land adjacent (west of) the active Navy Boardman bombing range 5.5 miles south of Boardman, Oregon.

Brief History: In 1962, the range was essentially divided into two almost equal parts. From 1941 to 1945, the U.S. Army Air Corps used the range for precision bombing. The Air Force used the bombing range from 1948 to 1960. Department of Defense (DOD) improvements to the site consisted of approximately 20 buildings, a flight strip, gunnery range, and five target sites. The Air Force declared the entire site in excess in 1960, and transferred the eastern half of the range to the Department of Navy for use as a practice bombing range (still active). After years of negotiating with the State of Oregon, the Air Force transferred the western half to the Oregon Division of State Lands. However, this property, along with other state-owned land in the area (totaling approximately 90,000 acres) was recently sold to a private company for use as irrigated agriculture and dairy. Oregon had also leased this property to Boeing AGRI-Industrial Company. Other landowners include the Port of Morrow, PGE, and the Corps of Engineers. PGE has constructed a coal-fired plant and Boeing has constructed other facilities at the site.
Range / Site Description:

Over the years the area of the Boardman Range has been used by the U.S. Army Air Corps (1940s) and the Air Force (1948-1960) and the Navy (since 1961). The navy still maintains an active operational range known as "Boardman Range" which is a separate entry in the UXOInfo.com UXO Site Inventory database. This entry pertains only to the 48,250 acre portion of the Boardman Range which is in the FUDS program. At least two separate ranges have been identified on the parcel.

The area is also known as the "Arlington Bombing Range"



Associated Munitions: Air dropped munitions including WWII era bombs.

Activities Completed: The USACE Omaha District completed a MMRP Site Inspection (SI) in September 2007.

Issues: DEQ's Water Quality Program has found high levels of nitrates immediately downgradient of the site, which could be a result of explosives (nitrogen based TNT and RDX both show up in the nitrate test). Nitrate concentrations ranged as high as 50 parts per million (ppm - the drinking-water standard is 10 ppm). In addition, DEQ has found perchlorate contamination in shallow groundwater at the Boeing Engine Test Facility site (ECSI #2595), which is located on the fomer Boardman Air Force Range site. This perchlorate contamination cannot be attributed solely to Boeing's operations, and likely originated from other sources.

Other Information:

UXO Site Maps no map available
Boardman Range (FUDS) former USAF Range- Click Map for Larger View
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