UXO Site selected: Pampa Army Air Field, TX
General Area: Pampa, TX

Site Type/Program: FUDS

Location: The former Pampa Army Air Field is located approximately 12 miles east of the city of Pampa, Texas on Highway 152 in Gray County, Texas.

Brief History: Pampa Army Air Field is approximately 2,545 acres and was used by the Army Air Corps for a twin engine flying school. Munition training was limited to small arms, pyrotechnics, and some chemical training. The Archives Search Report breaks the base into five different areas. Department of Defense improvements on the site included runways, roads, hangars, water wells, a water tower, sewage disposal plant, ordnance areas, skeet range, and numerous buildings to house and support base personnel. The facility was declared excess in 1955 and was completely sold off by 1957.
Range / Site Description:

Associated Munitions:

Activities Completed: The Archives Search Report for the former Pampa Army Air Field was completed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District in May 1994.

Issues:

Other Information: Areas "A", and "C" consist of the former Ordnance storage areas, firing ranges, and Gas Chamber area. There has been no reported incidents with ordnance in these areas. There are two buildings left in one of the Ordnance storage areas. The buildings are being beneficially used by the land owner. Another building in this area was being used but the building is collapsing. The berms into which small arms were fired still remain, there has been no evidence of OE contamination in the area of these berms. All that remains of the gas chamber area is the shell of a small concrete structure. There has been no evidence of OE contamination found in this area. Due to these facts, it is recommended that there be no further action performed in these areas. Area "D" is a suspected burial site. Documented history reveals that live mustard gas in the form of M1 and M2 War Gas Identification Sets were used in personnel training at this site. There is no documented fact for the disposition of these sets. In the interviews and conversations of the ASR it is a common belief that munitions, as well as all other excess materials were buried in some of the surrounding playa lakes. No one interviewed could offer first hand knowledge of this happening, however, this is a persistent thought through out the local community. If this did happen, then there is the possibility that any unused ID sets were buried also. During the initial site inspection the site inspection team was denied access to the area where the suspected burial site is. When contacted by the site inspection team the land owner stated that people from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had contacted him before and that he was not interested in any clean-up activities. Since; there is no factual documentation of the disposition of the ID sets, there is no current technology that can find glass, and the land owner of this area is unwilling to allow entry to the area, it is recommended that there be no further action performed in this area. According to current policy the RAC score will remain the same but there will be no further action performed. Area "E" consists of all remaining land comprising the main field of the former Pampa Army Air Field. There has been no reported incidents of public/ordnance encounters since the facility closed. There has no evidence found that indicates ordnance contamination of this area. It is recommended that there be no further action performed in this area. It is the recommendation of the TAG that the District, if it has not already done so, obtain written documentation that the above-mentioned landowner refused entry onto his land. A copy of this should be forwarded to HNC for its records. It is also recommended that all landowners be notified by the District of the decision of no further action for this site.
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