Munitions Could Complicate Dredging Plans

New York The city Sanitation Department's plan to build a new garbage transfer station may be complicated by UXO. The location for the proposed transfer station is on the edge of the New York harbor in a location known as Gravesend Bay, where as many as 14,000 plus unexploded Korean war era munitions may lie.

Reportedly, back in March of 1954, crews unloading the aircraft carrier USS Bennington were startled by a sudden storm. The storm caused a barge loaded with munitions to break free from the dock and capsize. About a year after the accident, a dive team was sent down to investigate and clear the area. It was reported that only a few hundred shells were successfully recovered. However, thousands more munitions are suspected to remain based upon estimates on the amount of tonnage on the barge at the time of the accident.

The long term potential impact to the project is not known at this time. Undoubtedly the issue will be studied further during the planning phases of any potential dredging project in and around the Gravesend Bay area.