Seaford, Virginia For the second time in two months, a passerby encountered ordnance along Bay Tree Beach Road in York County. Firefighters were called to a vacant lot, located along the Chesapeake Bay shoreline, for what was determined to be spent shells from military ordnance. An EOD team from Naval Weapons Station Yorktown responded to the area to remove the shells.

Firefighters were called to the same area in November after a suspicious device was spotted. That item was later determined to be dummy ordnance. The ordnance is believed to have been churned up following Hurricane Sandy.

Vientiane, Laos The Government of Ireland pledged $2.7M in aid over the next 3 years to continue efforts to manage UXO in Laos. The aid will strengthen the Laos National Regulatory Authority and UXO Laos, the two national institutions which deal with UXO issues. Plans for the funding include supporting policy making, UXO coordination, field operations, and education and training efforts.

Ireland's Ambassador to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos Damien Cole spoke at the ceremony marking the contribution stating that he expected the UXO program to "continue the battle to rid Laos of the scourge of UXO and reduce the negative effects these have on Laos' economic and social development."

This latest donation adds to the $4.7M that Ireland has provided in support of UXO issues in Laos since 2006.

Article from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board website.

Washington, DC In a final report set to be considered today, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) said an explosion and fire that killed five workers during a fireworks disposal operation in Hawaii in 2011 resulted from unsafe disposal practices; insufficient safety requirements for government contractor selection and oversight; and an absence of national guidelines, standards, and regulations for fireworks disposal.

The draft document, scheduled for a board vote at a public meeting in Washington, DC, today, recommends that federal agencies develop a new government-wide safety and environmental responsibility requirement for contractors, and calls for new regulations on the safe disposal of fireworks, a growing problem across the U.S.

Article continued on the CSB Website.

New York City, New York Crews found more than they bargained for while performing a routine cleaning of a British Royal Navy cannon at the Central Park Conservancy last week. After removing some rust, the Eighteenth Century cannon was found to be loaded with a cannonball and gun powder, forcing an EOD crew to be summoned to render the cannon safe. No injuries were reported.

York, Virginia EOD techs from Naval Weapons Station Yorktown were called to action to remove spent shells from old military ordnance washed ashore on Bay Tree Beach Road in Seaford, a community along the Chesapeake Bay. The shells were reported to local firefighters by a person walking along a vacant lot.

Local Fire Captain, Paul Long, reported that the device found was not live, and that it was not clear how long the shells from the military ordnance may have been there. This incident marked the second time in two months firefighters have been called to Bay Tree Beach Road for a report of ordnance. In November, they responded to a report of a suspicious device which was then identified as dummy ordnance. Hurricane Sandy may be to blame for churning up the old ordnance which is being washed ashore here and at many locations along the Eastern Seaboard.

Dymchurch, U.K. A 53-year old fisherman walking along the beach searching for bait rooms in the sand at low tide found what appeared to be a munition stuck in the sand. The man called the police but by the time they responded, the tide had come in and the item was no longer visible. Coastguard personnel monitored the beach to ensure that there was no threat to the public.

When low tide came around again, a Royal Navy bomb disposal unit was called in to respond. They identified the item as a pressure vessel from a torpedo. The bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion.

Hollywood, Maryland A man visiting his father's house along Cuckold Creek found what he thought was an old buoy floating near the shore. He put his find in the back of his truck and left for his house on the other side of town. It wasn't until he unloaded the device that he saw the placard on its outer shell, stating it was a U.S. Navy mine.

Concerned, the man then called the police to report the find. The Maryland State Fire Marshal's office responded and since the item was already in the truck and had been transported, the Fire Marshal's officers drove the truck with the mine to Newtown Neck State Park. The park was selected since it offered a wide open area and was closed to the public for ironically enough, munitions finds along the shoreline. The 55th Army EOD unit of Fort Belvoir responded and safely disposed of the item which was reportedly live.

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