Possible Chemical Munition Found At Clam Processing Plant

Milford, Delaware Emergency personnel from the Milford Fire Department initially responded to the call of a munition item found on the conveyor belt at the Sea Watch International clam-processing facility. The fire department contacted Dover AFB for assistance. EOD from Dover Air Force Base responded and tested the munition which had been reported as "leaking". Air Force EOD determined that the leaking munition tested positive for CWM.

The factory was evacuated and the scene secured until a team from the Army's 20th Support Command (CBRNE) from Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland could respond. Within several hours, the Army responded and safely relocated the munition (size and type not released yet) to Dover AFB. The suspect chemical munition is currently in temporary storage awaiting additional testing. From there, specific disposal operations will be coordinated and conducted by the Army to ensure proper disposal.

No injuries were reported, but four employees of the plant were sent to the hospital for as a precautionary measure and have since been released. The find of a potential CWM munition at the plant is not the first time CWM and discarded military munitions have been recovered from clam-processing facilities. Back in 2006, munitions were found mixed in with clam shells that were used as driveway aggregate which sparked a significant cleanup program and awareness campaign lead by the USACE Baltimore District. The project flyer from those earlier finds can be viewed using the download link below for reference.